I\A L, ,'J 

6 



JOURNAX. OF TRAVELS 



IK 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND, 



AND OP 



TWO PASSAGES OVER THE ATLANTIC, 



IN THE YEARS 1805 AND 1806. 

Jm TWO VOLUMES. 
VOL. L 

SECOND EDITION. 



BOSTON. 

PRINTED BY T. B. WAIT AND CO, 

TOR HOWE AND DEFOREST, AND INCREASE COOK AND CO. 
NEWHAVEN. 



1812. 



District of Connecticut^ io wit: 
BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the first day of February, in the thirty, 
fourth year of the Independence of tlie United States of America, Benjamin 
Silliman , of the said District, hath deposited in this office the title of a Book, 
tlie right whereof he claims as author, in the words following, to wit : 

" A Journal of Travels in England, Holland, and Scotland, and of two Pas- 
sages over the Atlantic, in the years 1S05 and 180Q." 

In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, "An 
Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, 
and Books, to the authors and proprietors of them, during the times therein 
mentioned." H. W. EDWARDS, 

Clerk of the District of Connecticut. 






f\ ^ T\ \ 



PREFACE. 



1 T 



HE Trustees of Yale College, in the autumn of 
1804, appropriated a sura of money, for the enlarge- 
ment of their library, and philosophical and chemical 
apparatus ; and, they determined on sending an agent 
to Europe, for the purpose of making the contemplat- 
ed collections. I was commissioned to execute this 
trust, and was allowed to avail myself of such oppor- 
tunities as might occur, for acquiring information, 
especially in chemistry, which it was my duty to teach, 
in the institution with which I am connected. 

Such were my principal objects, in Europe, and to 
these the greater part of my time was necessarily de- 
Toted. 

At the request of the brother to whom the following 
pages are addressed, I commenced a journal, whicli 
was continued, from the first, without a single day's 
omission, till my return. Instead of filling my letters 
with descriptions of what I saw, I constantly made ray 
journal the depository of my observations and thoughts, 
and it was transmitted to America, in numbers, at 
convenient intervals. 



iv PREFACE. 

I wrote at the time^ and an the spot, and was rarely 
a day behind my date ; my information was derived 
almost wholly from personal observation, and conver- 
sation ; beyond the itineraries and guides of the coun- 
try, I had little leisure to consult books, and none at 
all to copy or amend what I had written ; and I felt 
the less disposition to do it as I was writing to a bro. 
ther^ who, in the communication of the journal, was 
restricted to a small circle of friends. 

Of course, I wrote with a degree of freedom which 
made it unpleasant to me to learn, that it had been 
found impossible to confine the manuscripts within the 
limits prescribed, and, when I returned, I was inform- 
ed that they had been perused by many of my acquain- 
tance, and their friends. It now became impossible 
for me to refuse the loan of them to others, and, in 
this way, their existence became so generally known, 
that their publication was talked of as a matter of 
course. I uniformly declined to listen to any propo- 
sition on the subject, as it had been my determination 
from the first to withhold the work from the press. 

But, a good while after ray return, an application 
was made to me under circumstances so peculiar, that 
I was compelled to take it into consideration. After 
perusing the manuscripts, with reference to this object, 
consulting literary friends, and deliberating, a long 
time, I consented, not without much anxiety, to at. 



PREFACE. V 

tertiptthe difficult task of preparing them for publica- 
tion. It was difficult, because the public, ?iot my 
friends^ were now to be my judges, and because jt was 
scarcely possible to preserve the spirit and freedom 
which had interested the latter, without violating the 
decorum which was due to the former, and to many 
respectable individuals, whose names appeared in my 
journal. 

With a design to preserve this medium, the whole 
has been written anew. Additions, omissions, and 
alterations have been made, but they have been as 
few as possible, and it has undergone so little muta- 
tion, either in form or substance, that the spirit 
and character of the work remain essentially unchang- 
ed ; how far it has been rendered more fit for the pub- 
lic eye, those, who have perused the original volumes, 
during a period of more than three years that hav« 
elapsed, since their completion, will be best able to 
judge. 

Perhaps, I ought to apologize for interweaving in 
the journal, so much of my own personal history, and 
for introducing so many of ray own remarks and re- 
flections, but, these things were so combined with the 
very tissue of the work, that it would have been im- 
possible to have withdrawn them, without destroying, 
completely, the texture of the fabric. 
1*- 



Vi PREFACE. 

The apology implied^ in this simple unvarnished 
tale, I am sensible, is very trite^ and by many will be 
regarded as inadmissible. 

However this may be, I have discharged a duty by 
telling the truth ; what I have said will be believed in 
my native State, where the principal facts are well 

known. 

BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 

Yale College, (Connecticut) August 28, 1809. 



CONTENTS OF V0LU3IE I. 



Page 

NO. I.— PASSAGE TO ENGLAND - 13 

NO. II.— LIVERPOOL. 

Circus — Custom-house — American Hotel — Cavalry — Ar- 
my of Egypt — Literary institulions — A slave ship - - 34 

NO. III. —LIVERPOOL. 

Sketch of the town — American trade — Press gangs — 
Docks — Dry docks 47 

NO. IV.— LIVERPOOL. 

English dinners — Allerton-hall — Botanical garden — Mr. 
lloscoe — A transport ship — Environs — English Hotel - 54 

NO. v.— MANCHESTER. 

Gilead House — Prescot — Warrington — Scenery — Stage 
companions — Manchester — A family scene — Roman 
camp — Prince Charles — Volunteers — Duke of Bridge- 
v/ater's canal — Cotton manufactories — Manners and mo- 
rals of the artists 66 

NO. VI.— JOURNEY TO THE PEAK. 

Stockport — English stage-coaches — Barren mountains — 
Buxton — Tidpswell — People of the country — Singular 
scenerv — Ancient castle 80 



X CONTENTS. 

NO. XXIII.— .LONDON. 
House of Commons 216 

NO. XXIV.— LONDON. 

Mr. Greville—Mr. Watt— Sir Joseph Banks and his con- 
versazione. -Major Rennel— Dr. Wollaston, &c.—Sir 
Joseph Banks' public breakfast - - - - 223 

NO. XXV.— LONDON. 

Brompton-gardens-.Chelsea-gardens and hospital— Smug- 
glers— Mendicants— A successful beg-gar - - 229 

NO. XXVI.— LONDON. 

Gas-lights—Royal Society— Picture gallery - - 236 

NO. XXVIL— LONDON. 

American party— Haymarket theatre— Athletic exercises 
—Sadler's Wells theatre— Royal institution - • 242 

NO. XXVIII.— LONDON. 

Royal Circus— Old Bailey— Newgate— G.'^ldsmith's Gar- 
ret—Picture Gallery, &c. 252 

NO. XXIX.— LONDON. 
The Opera _ ... ^- - - - 261 

NO. XXX.— LONDON. 

Anecdotes— Royal Academy— Astley's amphitheatre 264 

NO. XXXI.— LONDON. 

Animals— Puffs— Lloyd's— Royal Exchange— Shop-keep- 
ers, &c. .,------ 2ri 



CONTENTS. Xi 

NO. XXXII.— LONDON. 

Private parties— A liberal clerg-yman— Rev. Mr. Cecil- 
Asylum, &c 276 

NO. XXXIII.— LONDON. 

The Thames — Greenwich hospital and park— Royal Ob- 
servatory ----_... 2gi 

NO. XXXIV.— LONDON. 

British Museum-.-Collection of busts and statues— Hun- 
ger's Museum ---.-__. 288 

NO. XXXV.— LONDON. 

Incidents— Thunder-storm— Bacon's tree— Rules of walk- 
»»gr>&c. 295 

NO. XXXVL— LONDON. 

Excursion to Richmond— Celibacy common in England 299 

NO. XXXVIL— LONDON. 

The Sabbath— Cockneys— Magdalen Asylum— Surry Cha- 
Pel 305 

NO. XXXVIIL— LONDON. 

Excursion— Morning ride— Haymarket theatre— The Lon- 
don stage, &c. - - - . . . -oil 

NO. XXXIX.— LONDON. 

Foundling Hospital— English preachers— The foundlings 
—St. Stephen's 317 



14 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

prospect of serene weather made ample amends for the 
gloom of the day. 

April 8. — This morning, a large hawk, that had 
strayed beyond his reckoning, hovered over the ship, 
and settled upon the peak of our fore-top mast, where 
he poised himself with his wings, as the motion threw 
him off from his centre. He seemed much fatigued and 
very happy to find this resting place; — more fortunate 
he, than the winged messenger that went from the arkj 
but found no mast or shrub, rising from that " shore- 
less ocean." When the hawk first alighted, an English 
gentleman on board remarked, that the American Ea- 
gle had come to preside over our passage ; but the 
omen seems unpropitious, for our tutelary genius has 
already taken his flight. 

In the evening, the sky was clear and serene, and the 
moon shone with uncommon brightness; our ship, with 
all her canvass filled by a stiff breeze, moved graceful- 
ly and majestically through the water ; the sea, for 
many yards around, was all in a foam from the rapidity 
of her motion, which, was so regular, that I was able 
to walk the deck with a firm step, and to enjoy the 
conversation ci an intelligent fellow passenger. 

Jpril 9. — In the evening, I observed for the first 
time, the interesting phenomenon of the lunar bow, 
which was distinctly visible in about 60° of the upper 
part of the circle. 

Jpril 10. — We had no longer the fine vernal sun 
and mild breezes of yesterday, but a gale from the 
south-east, with a heavy sea, flying clouds, dashes of 
rain, and violent squalls. At twilight, the heavens 
and the ecean presented a scene of great grandeur. 
The wares ran very high, and the ship danced over 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 15 

Iheir tops like a feather. The sky became suddenly 
black ; darkness, almost like that of night, hung over 
the deep ; — it was, if I may so say, a darkness shed 
from the clouds, attended with a portentous gloom, un- 
like the serenity which night produces ; — the white 
tops of the wavps, as they dashed against each other, 
and crowned the vast black billows with a seeming 
ridge of snow, presented a striking contrast to the sa- 
ble hue of the sea and sky ; and the dexterity of the 
sailors, who, in the midst of this uproar, climbed the 
shrouds, and went out to the very ends of the yards to 
lash the sails, was well adapted to excite my astonish- 
ment. I had no fears, but enjoj ed in a high degree 
the majesty of a scene, for my impressions of which I 
had hitherto been indebted to painters and poets. 

Early in the evening, the wind declined ; the clouds 
began to disperse, and the beautiful constellation Ori- 
on, was the first that appeared to cheer our spirits, af- 
ter so dismil a day, 

April \A. — For several days we continued to sail 
prosperously on our course, aud no interesting inci- 
dent occurred, till, towards e^Riing, on the 10th day 
of our passage, we had the pleasure to descry a fishing 
vessel, lying at anchor, on tlic banks of Newfoundland. 
The next day we lay to twice, and fished with little 
success ; but, in the mean ^m\Q we saw one of the 
greatest wonders of the great deep ; two whales played 
about the ship, frequently spouting, and raising their 
" broad bare backs" out of the water. 

After our last attempt at fishing, we stood on our 
course, and, in a few minutes, discovered what we ima- 
gined to be two vessels ; the mate, going up io the 
round top, saw four more, and presently after, we de- 



16 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

scried a whole fleet. We concluded that they must be 
fishing vessels, and steered for them ; having already 
formed a plan to board them with our boat, for the 
purpose of purchasing fish, since we had failed in tak- 
ing any. There was something, however, extremely, 
singular in the appearance of these vessels. They were 
apparently without masts or sails ; — their hulls were of 
a brilliant white, and, as the sea caused them to roll, 
they gave a copious reflection, from a very bright sun, 
and seemed all dazzling. 

We were employing ourselves in forming various 
conjectures on the subject, without once suspecting the 
real fact, when the mate, going aloft with a prospect 
glass, soon put to flight all our surmises by crying out, 
Islands of Ice ! ! I felt a mixed emotion, of pleasure 
and apprehension, from the expected contemplation of 
cbjecis so splendid and magnificent, and still, so dan- 
gerous to our safety. Very soon, the progress of the 
ship brought other islands into view, and rendered 
those more distinct which we had first discovered. The 
subject occupied all the eyes, and engrossed all the 
thoughts and conversation, of our little family. The 
weather, from being mild in the morning, although still 
clear, had become .much colder, in consequence, no 
doubt, of the vicinity , of such masses of ice. That 
which we had discovered, was, happily, not of the 
most dangerous form ; it was altogether, in conspicu- 
ous masses, rising, in some instances, 100 feet out of 
the water ; that which is most dangerous, is the field 
ice, which lies on the surface, often to a great extent, 
and, not being visible at any considerable distance, 
ships are in danger of running upon it, unobserved. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 17 

Having still several hours of day light, we flattered 
ourselves that we should get clear of such a dangerous 
neighbourhood before night. But the hope seemed as 
▼ain as that of passing the horizon itself, for new mas- 
ses were continually coming into view, and we could 
perceive them appearing, like white spots, in the very 
verge of the heavens, just in the line where the sky and 
water seemed to unite, so that, instead of getting clear, 
as we had hoped, we found ourselves, towards evening, 
surrounded by numerous ice-islands on every side. 

Their appearance was, to me, extremely interesting 
and gratifying, and I wish it were in my power to con- 
vey to you an adequate idea of these formidable pro- 
ductions of polar frost. 

They were all of a very pure and splendid white, 
with a peculiar brilliancy, arising from the situation 
of the sun, Avhich was declining ; while the Ice-islands 
constantly came into view from the east and north, and 
thus threw back a flood of light upon us, which ren- 
dered them more conspicuous as they came nearer, and 
afl'orded the pleasure of continued discovery. Few of 
them were larger than a house or a church, but there 
were two which might well be dignified with the name 
of floating mountains. They all rolled much with the 
■waves, with a ponderous motion, that alternately im- 
mersed an additional portion of the mass, and then, by 
the returning movement, brought a great bulk into 
view, which had been invisible before, while streams 
of water, taken up by the inequalities of surface, ran 
down their sides. It is not easy to give a correct es- 
timation of the magnitude of the largest islands. Their 
appearance was very magnificent. They covered many 
acres on the water, and towered above our top-gallant 



18 A JOUUNAL OF TRAtELS IN 

masts. So peculiar was their appearance, that it is not 
easy to compare them to any thing but themselves ; 
yet, they resembled most, some ancient venerable ruin, 
while the beauty and splendour of the materials made 
them look like a recent, highly polished work of art, 
which some convulsion had thrown into vast disorder. 
Conceive of some very extensive and lofty palace, of 
white marble, whose walls have been, here and theie, 
broken down, almost to the ground, but still rise, in 
numerous and lofty turrets, and whose sides appear, 
every where, furrowed by the tempests of ages ; — con- 
ceive further, of this great pile of ruin as emerging from 
the ocean, where the heavens alone terminate the view 
on every side, and that the waves are dashing continu- 
ally against it, and surrounding its base with foam, and 
its sides with spray ; and you will then have some idea 
ef the object which I am aiming to describe. 

Sun-setUng. — I have this moment been on deck, 
and find that we are immediately abreast of another 
ice-mountain, while new ones are momently coming 
into view in the eastern edge of the horizon. Those 
which we have passed now present their shaded sides, 
and have lost their splendour ; while the most remote, 
in the same direction, appear like dark clouds, with 
their tops gilded by the last rays of the sun. The air 
i-3 very keen for the season. Night is now closing fast 
upon us, and we must pass it among these floating mas- 
ses ; it will certainly be an anxious night, and heaven 
grant it may be a safe one. We have the advantage of 
serene weather, with a fair though small breeze, and 
we shall have the moon before midnight. 

12 o^ clock at night. — Two men are stationed in the 
bow to look out for the ice :— one mass has grazed our 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 19 

side, but without doing any harm, and as the moon has 
risen, and the weather continues fine, I shall retire to 
rest. I have not, however, forgotten the interesting 
history of the Lady Hobart British Packet, which pe- 
rished last year in these seas, by the same accident to 
which we are now exposed.* 

April 16. — Happily we received no injury, being 
favoured with every circumstance which might give us 
a safe passage. Had these circumstances, however, 
been reversed ; — had the night been dark — the sea high, 
and the weather tempestuous, we could scarcely have 
escaped ; for, what obstacle would the sides of a ship 
oppose to the mighty momentum of such masses, im- 
pelled by the winds and waves of a tempest ! Between 
two, she would be crushed, and even the collision with 
one, if the ship were under full way, would cause the 
same resistance as a rock, and the ragged edges of the 
ice would pierce her instantly. 

In order to a correct conception of the vast moving 
power of these bodies, it must not be forgotten that 
only" a very small portion of their bulk appears 
above the water. It is well known that this is the 
case with cakes of ice floating in a river, and, where 
it is perfectly solid and well formed, only one eighth 
or one ninth part of its bulk rises above the surface. 
These masses are, however, far from having this densi- 
ty ; they seem to be principally an accumulation of 
snow, hardened by degrees upon a bed of ice, and 

* After our arrival in England we became acquainied with 
tlie slill more tragical fate of tlie American ship Jupiter, Capt. 
Law, which was lost here, with a great liumber of people, 
only a few days before our arrival on the banks. She encoun- 
* red the field-ice, and went down within a few minutes after 
■ e struck. 



20 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

increased by the clashing of the water, which con- 
stantly freezes upon them in successive layers. The 
sailors say that one third of these islands appears 
above water. This estimation is undoubtedly much 
too high, but, were even this considered as correct, 
it will be evident that such islands as the largest 
which we saw, must be bodies of prodigious magni- 
tude. But, every allowance being made, there is rea- 
son to believe that not more than one fifth or sixth part 
of the ice-islands is visible ; of course an ice mountain 
of 100 feet high, would really have a perpendicular 
altitude of 500 or 600 feet. 

While contemplating these magnificent bodies, Dr. 
Darvs'in's whimsical project of employing the navies of 
Europe to navigate them to the tropical regions for 
the sake of cooling those climates, struck me with pe- 
culiar interest ; what project or hypothesis has been 
too ridiculous to be proposed and defended by phi- 
losophy or to be embellished by poetry and fiction ! 

April 17. — The last night was very tempestuous :-^ 
the wind, especially towards morning, blew hard, and 
raised a very heavy sea ; the sky was co'^ered with 
ragged, angry clouds, which gave us frequent squalls, 
with rain, hail, and snow, and the ship rolled so vio- 
lently, that I slept very little ; but, to compensate for 
all this, the wind was perfectly fair, and sent us for- 
ward eight and ten miles an hour. We.- have had the 
same weather, and have made the same progress, 
through the day ; but the motions of the ship have 
been so violent, that it has been impossible to sit at 
the table. We have been compelled to place our food 
on the floor, and to sit down around it, with all the 
simplicity, although not with the quiet and security, of 
pastoral life. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 21 

You would have been much amused could you have 
witnessed our grotesque appearance ; — one might have 
been seen bracing a foot against a pannel, and another 
against a trunk ; — a second and a third, not equally- 
fortunate in their position, aided each other, by exten- 
ding their limbs, and placing foot to foot, in opposite 
directions, while the walls of the cabin supported them 
behind. Thus situated, with our plates between our 
knees, we attempted the arduous business of dining. 
At every roll of the ship there was a kind of manual 
exercise to be performed. Besides his own plate, each 
one had to elevate some vessel to prevent its being 
overthrown ; one held up a. decanter of wine, another 
a gravy-dish, and a third the soup-bowl ; and it was 
only in the critical moment between one roll and 
another, that the knife and fork could be used with 
safety. Notwithstanding our caution, it has happened 
more than once to-day, that a sudden and violent mo- 
tion of the ship has thrown us all, with the loose fur- 
niture, and table utensils, into a promiscuous heap, 
while more solicitude has been manifested for the pres- 
ervation of the food than of our limbs. As no seri- 
ous injury has been sustained, we have been very merry 
on the occasion, and have enjoyed our tumultuous 
repasts quite as well as on some occasions we should 
have relished a sumptuous entertainment. 

The face of tht» ocean has exhibited a scene of great 
grandeur through the whole day. The wind continu- 
ing to blow very hard, the captain ordered the dead 
lights to be lashed in, apd this, as well as other move- 
ments on board, indicate an expectation of weather 
still more tempestuous. 



22 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

April 1 8. — Accordingly, the wind, which during the 
night veered to the south, but without subsiding at all, 
in the progress of the morning increased to a gale ; 
and before noon this gale became a violent tempest, 
■with dashes of rain. There was a very heavy sea, and 
the motions of the ship were so sudden and violent, that 
it was hazardous to attempt moving without constantly 
holding fast by some fixed object. No food could be 
prepared in the caboose, and such refreshment as we 
had, was received, as yesterday, on the cabin floor, and 
even in this humble posture, we were not unfrequently 
thrown from one side of the cabin to the other. The 
storm increased in violence through the day, so that it 
far exceeded every thing which I had hitherto seen ; 
atad in the afternoon, besides the general vehemence of 
the wind, there were frequent squalls. Just before 
evening, while the captain was asleep in his state room^ 
the ship being laid close to the wind, with nothing 
standing but a double reefed fore-sail, and the tiller in 
the hands of a common sailor, a sudden and violent 
squall struck us, which threw the helmsman from his 
station, so that the ship was no longer under command 
of the rudder ; — accordingly she lurched^ as the sailors 
say ; that is, she fell into the trough of the sea, and 
the next wave, although she was a tall ship, of more 
than 400 tons, threw her down upon her side, with 
tremendous violence, so that a part of her deck was 
under water ; the people, and every moveable thing, 
were thrown to leeward, and, for a moment, dismay 
was painted in the faces of the most experienced men 
on board. 

The violence of the shock roused our sleeping cap- 
tain, who was upon deck In an instant ; — forced the 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 23 

helm up, with a whole volley of oaths, and put the ship 
before the wind, when she righted. The danger was 
imminent, though transient, for, had the ship remained 
in the same position, the next sea would, without 
doubt, have laid her flat upon the water. 

Night, at length, set in, dark and dismal ; — the tem- 
pest raged with more violence than ever, and the fury 
of the sea was wonderful. To an old sailor it miiiht 
doubtless have appeared no very uncommon thing ; 
but to me, to whom these incidents were novel, the 
scene was awfully grand ; and one who has never wit- 
nessed a tempest at sea, has not enjoyed one of the 
highest exhibitions of sublimity. 

I have no particular dread of the water, and, excep- 
ting this crisis, I had not supposed our situation to be, 
at any time, imminently dangerous ; yet I could not 
but be astonished that any machine, constructed of such 
frail materials as those of a ship, could withstand such 
shocks as those which we received every moment from 
the waves, and which caused every timber to trem- 
ble, while the creaking of the ship's joints, and the 
roaring of the winds and waves, rendered it almost 
impossible to hear any one speak. It was not the con- 
sequence of weakness or of fear, but a natural, and I 
trust pardonable, efloct of the scene before me, that 
induced me to descend into the cabin, to read a letter 
of our mother, received immediately before I sailed, 
in which she had inserted an interesting production of 
Addison, who had drunk inspiration at fountains more 
noble than Helicon. It is entitled The Traveller's 
Hymn, and might well be adopted as the companion of 
exery adventurer, whose mind does not despise the idea 
of protection from on high. 



24 A JOURNAL or TRAVELS IN 

About ten o'clock at night the wind abated, and 
gradually died away to a still small breeze ; but our 
situation was more uncomfortable than ever, for the 
ship, being now without wind to steady her, rolled 
dreadfully ;— sleep was unattainable, and I could only 
brace myself, in my birth, and wait for morning. I 
spent an hour in the evening in viewing the phospho- 
rescence of the waves. It was indeed a beautiful 
sight. The ocean was covered all over with luminous 
spots, occasioned by the foam of the waves, while, 
around the ship, the water glowed and sparkled almost 
with the brilliancy of burning coals. When we shipped 
a sea the spray appeared like a shower of fire, falling 
among the shrouds, and the deck seemed to be covered 
with glowing embers. 

How comes it that the poets, so much celebrated for 
appropriating every brilliant image of natural scenery, 
should have m.ade so little use of this ? They have not 
often alluded to this phenomenon, which is certainly 
beautiful in itself, and eminentlyjo from its occurring, 
most remarkably, in tempest and darkness, when beau- 
ty is contrasted with grandeur. 

Ajn-il 22, — In the gale on the 1 8th, our spars and 
rigging received considerable injury and our ship 
sprung a leak, which, when it was discovered, had 
made about two feet of water in the hold. Our pumps 
were very bad ; the carpenter was stupid and inactive ; 
and during several days of squally and variable wea- 
ther that succeeded, we endured considerable apprehen- 
sion, till we discovered, that, bad as our pumps were, 
they were sulTicient to prevent the leak from gaining 
upon us. 



ENGLANB, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 25 

We have sailed, all this day, under the pressure of 
a gale, which has sent us forward ten miles an hour. 

About 4 o'clock this afternoon, I went on deck to 
view the tumult of the ocean ; the ship was pressed 
down so much to leeward by the wind, that her 
deck was inclined like a roof, and I clambctofi to 
the windward railing, and found a situation where I 
Could hold fast by the ropes. The sea often dashed 
over the ship, and involved us in such copious showers, 
that I found it necessary to go below. I had scarcely 
descended into the cabin, when we shipped a tremen- 
dous sea ; the wave, as the mate informed me, took 
the ship sideways through her whole length ; its top 
curled as high as the mainyard-arm, and it fell upon 
the deck with astonishing violence, a universal crash, 
and an instantaneous suspension of the motion of the 
ship, as when an ox is knocked down dead at the 
slaughter. The sea made a full breach over us, and, 
for a moment, we were buried beneath it as if we had 
been sunk ; the decks were swept, and the water came 
pouring down into the cabin through the sky-light. 

April ^3 — The weather has continued extremely 
variable, and the transitions from clouds to sunshine, 
•and from sunshine to rain and violent winds, have been 
so rapid and frequent, that it has not been easy to 
say which have prevailed, but, in all the bad weather 
and gales which have attended our passage, we have 
had the satisfaction of being rapidly impelled towards 
England. 

April 24. — There was a brilliant rainbow this 
morning in the west, and, as we were now contending 
v.\ih a head pea, the spray constantly broke o^rr the 
ships' bow, and preserved a rainbcw whenever tl:e sun 

VOL. I. 3 



V 
\^^ A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS lH 

shone. At evening, the captain, being confident that 
the Irish coast conld not be far distant, ordered most 
of our canvass to be taken in, lest we should run upon 
it in the dark. During the succeeding night the wind 
blew furiously, and squalls attended us the next day 
till towards evening, when the sea suddenly went down 
and became comparatively smooth ; the gulls had be- 
come very numerous, and we had no doubt that land 
was near. On the succeeding day, we sounded and 
found bottom, and all eyes were now intent on dis- 
covering the wished for object. 

April 27.— We looked in vain till 5 o'clock in the 
afternoon of this day, when a man from the mast- 
head exclaimed — land 1 land ! on the weather bow 1 

**«■**■* *?!j^ 

I went up the shrouds, and saw a mountain in 
Ireland which appeared like a well defined cloud in 
the ^dge of the horizon. This more than welcome 
object occupied our eyes till evening veiled it from our 
view. 

April 28.— In the morning the hills of Ireland be- 
came more and more distinct. We saw successively, 
the heights of Waterford— the lofty mountains of 
Wicklow, at a great distance over land— the Saltee 
Islands, near and very distinct, and lastly, Carnsore 
point and the Tuscar rock, constituting the south-eas- 
tern extremity of Ireland, which it was necessary to 
double in order to enter the [rish channel. 

It was now past noon, when the wind increased and 
came more ahead, and the sky assumed a very threaten^ 
ing aspect. R,;iin followed, it soon grew dark and 
tii^ht came on, with a violent storm which was driving 



^lai!^,-»>^ 



ENGLAKD, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. ^7 

US directly towards a rocky Ice shore, only three 
leagues distant. The captain thought, that under these 
circumstances, the attempt to double the point would be 
extremely hazardous, but, as the wind would be a free 
one the moment we should pas^ the Tuscar rock, the 
temptation was so strong, that he called the passengers 
together to know whether they would risk their per- 
sonal safety in the attempt ; it Avas unanimously de- 
cided in the affirmative. 

Accordingly we tacked, and stood for the north^ 
but the storm soon increasing to a furious tempest, at- 
tended with the most impenetrable darkness, and the 
wind driving us directly and rapidly towards the Tus- 
car rock, we were reduced to the mortifying necessity 
of standing away from the land, towards the ocean. 
The gale soon became extremely violent, but we rodeifc 
out in safety. During the storm I took my station 
along with the master in the companion way. We 
split our fore-top-sail, and such was the fury of the 
winds and waves, that the captain was obliged to give 
his commands through the speaking trumpet, and his 
oaths, which were now more frequent and impious than 
usual, were thundered out from this brazen throat, 
with a voice that spoke 

•• Louder than the tempest." 

The scene was very sublime ; the sea was covered all 
over with luminous ridges, and the spray, as it dashed 
over the gunwale, fell in showers of fire, while the 
waves shed a dismal light on the " darkness visible," 
and formed a small horizon of illuminated water around 
the ship. About 1 o'clock in the morning, the wind 
began to abate ; a heavy rain deluged the decks, ^ndat 



28 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

2 the wind shifted ; the storm was lulled almost to a 
fialm ; the sky became suddenly clear, and appeared 
of an uncommonly deep azure, while the stars shone 
with wonderful brilliancy. What a contrast ! One 
hour before, all was darkness, tempest and fury I 

jipril 30. — The next day we had another gale from 
the north-east ; several ships were in sight with close- 
reefed sails and borne down on one side with the force 
of the wind ; fine objects for the eye and the pencil. 
Towards evening, the sun broke thro^igli the clouds and 
discovered to us the same land thAt we saw yesterday. 
To-day we have doubled point Carnsore, and with light 
and contrary winds, are beating slowly towards Liver- 
pool. 

Jlere we are, my dear brother, in the midst of the 
Irish channel ; on the right we have the mountains of 
Wales, and on the left those of Wicklow. Tlie latter 
are composed in part of whitish sand, which, in the 
sun, appeared like dirty snow ; with the glass I can 
distinctly see the channels worn in the hills by the rain. 

May 1. — Ireland is this moment in view, at a great 
distance, and we are beating across the channel, dis- 
puting, with an adverse wind and opposing currents, 
every inch of our progress. We are now standing 
across Caernarvon bay, with the hills of Caernarvon- 
shire in full view. 

Thus I go on, from day to day, recording the chan- 
ges of wind and weather, and endeavouring to sketch 
the ever-changing aspect of sea and sky. On land re- 
marks upon the weather are always trite, and even bor- 
der a little on the ridiculous, since we tell our friends 
what they very well knew before. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. ^9 

But, at sea, depenclant as oUr comfort, nay, our very 
existence always is, upon the most mutable of all 
things, the aspect of the sky, the force and direction of 
the wind, and the motion of the waves, these topics as- 
sume an importance which they can never have on land, 
and, an apology for their frequent introduction is cer- 
tainly unnecessary. Still, there is such a degree of 
sameness in the incidents of a sea life, that it is difficult 
to give the narration of them any considerable degree 
of interest. 

Exiled completely from the rest of mankind, and 
confined to a floating prison, every thing interesting 
in the characters of the few around one, is speedily ex- 
hausted, and the scenery of the ocean soon grows too 
familiar to excite anew the pleasure which it at first 
produced. 

In fine weather, (if I may borrow a trite allusion,^ 
the old monarch of the deep is so placid, that his 
smiles are insipid ; and when he rises in his might, and 
crowns himself with all the terrors of his stormy do- 
main, his countenance is so fierce, that astonishment 
and dismay exclude every perception of beauty, and 
leave only an impression of a kind of horrible grandeur. 

The traveller on land is constantly entertained with 
the varying beauties of landscape; and if the scene of 
his travels be among civilized men, conversation af- 
fords him a never failing source of agreeable incident; 
if in a country, renowned in ancient story, and abound- 
ing with the beauties of cultivation and the productions 
of the arts, he must be very unfortunate iudeed, if, 
with sufficient leisure, he cannot find something to en- 
liven the tedious detail of dates, places, and distances. 
Tn such a country 1 hope soon to be, when I trust I 
3* 



30 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

may find matter which will afford the subject of more 
entertaining narrative than that which has now occu- 
pied twenty-seven days. 

5 o^clock^ P.M.- — The wind enabled us in the morn- 
ing to pass nearly across Caernarvon bay, and to bring 
Holyhead, in the isle of Anglesea, into full view. For 
some hours we have had a flat calm, and the current 
has set us over towards the southern side of Caernar- 
von-bay. We are not more than eight miles from the 
shore, and I have been taking a view of the sublime 
scenery of this part of the Welsh coast. 

Some of the mountains which line the shore, are lof- 
ty, and their tops are covered with snow. With an 
excellent glass I can see the slopes of the hills and 
mountains, covered, to the very feet of the cliffs, with 
green fields, cottages, and cattle. Most of the moun- 
tains are very rude and ragged, consisting of bare rocks, 
rising, in some instances, into obtuse cones, and in 
others projecting, with perpendicular cliffs, into the 
very water. The inland mountains appear still more 
lofty. There is one, whose summit is covered with 
snow, and enveloped by clouds, rolled up around it 
like curtains ; I wish to recognise it, as the famous 
Snowdon, but there is no one on board sufficiently 
versed in the geography of Wales to inform me. 

A beautiful, and to me, novel contrast, is now be- 
fore us. It is formed by the deep verdure which co» 
vers the feet and declivities of some Of the mountains, 
and the snow which crowns their tops; the transition 
appears, in many instances, perfectly abrupt ; the most 
vivid green terminating in the purest white. Were! 
a painter I would arrest these transient images of beau- 
ty and grandeur, that I might renew with you and 



E;NGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 31 

II — , the pleasure which 1 now enjoy, but you must 
accept the humbler efforts of description, instead of the 
magical efl'ects of the pencil. 

May 2. — AVe had a fair breeze, for a short time, 
last evening, but it soon became contrary, and we 
spent the night in beating. 

10 o^clock. — This morning we find ourselves close 
under Holyhead, and the island of Anglesea on our 
right, while the Isle of Man appears on our left, but 
at a great distance. Hoi} head, the first European town 
which I have seen, is now in view at the distance of 
six miles, and with the glass I can distinctly see the 
houses. The town is situated on a small island of the 
same name, separated from Anglesea by a narrow frith* 

The island of Holyhead is principally a rude moun- 
tain of naked rock, and appears barren and comfort- 
less in the extreme. On the declivity next to Angle- 
sea, there appears to be some arable land, on which the 
town of Holyhead is built ; this town is the station of 
the packets for Dublin, the high hills around which 
town are at this moment visible. We are now passing 
through a region of water, where the meeting of the 
tides occasions a violent commotion not unlike Hell- 
Gate.* The tide runs here with great violence, and^ 
with the aid of a fair wind, is impelling us rapidly to- 
Avards Liverpool. 

The snowy mountains of Caernarvon are still visi- 
ble, pushing their white tops into the clouds. The 
morning is delightfully pleasant — a fleet of 14 sail of 
transports is close under our \vea<her quarter, and the 
Skel lie's light-house, built on a rock in the water, i& 
in full view under our lee. 

* A celebrated strait near New Yorlc. 



3^ A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS lH 

Half past 10 o'clock^ P. M. — We are now withiw 
two or three miles of the shore of Anglesea. The isl- 
and rises into gentle hills, the declivities of which, 
and in many instances the tops, are well cultivated. 
The whole country appears enclosed by fences or 
hedges, and farm-houses, wind-mills, and villages are 
scattered here and there, but there are no trees. This 
island is the Mona of the Romans — the venerable re- 
treat of the British Druids. Its copper mines are said 
to be the most extensive in the world, and I can dis- 
tinctly see at the bottom of a hill, opposite to our ship^ 
a long row of chimnies from which the smoke of the 
'furnaces, employed in smelting the copper, is now is- 
suing. After being so long confined to the tedious 
sameness of the ocean, I am not a little gratified with 
the scenery which surrounds us to-day. 

6 o^clock P. M. — At 1 o'clock, a pilot came on 
board, and we have been sailing very prosperously ever 
since, with a fair wind and a favouring current. We 
passed within a few miles of Snowdon and Peuman- 
maur. The latter projects, with perpendicular cliifs^ 
into the very water ; — along its side is cut the famous 
road where a precipice, whose base is buffeted by the 
billows, makes the traveller shrink from the edge, 
while impending fragments threaten him from above. 
Indeed the whole coast from Holyhead is very forbid- 
ding to the mariner ; perpendicular cliffs face almost 
its whole extent, and ruin awaits the ship that is driven 
upon it. 

Snowdon is lofty, and rises into a number of conical 
peaks ; — the whole assemblage is very grand, and both 
the tops and sid.es are covered with snow. 



I^NGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 33 

We are now sailing close under the shore, and the 
declining sun shines with full lustre on the hills. The 
mouth of the river Dee is in view, and a dense cloud of 
smoke hangs over Liverpool, and marks its situation, 
otherwise invisible to us. We cannot get up to the 
town to.night, on account of the tides, but we are all 
preparing to disembark to-morrow. 

Three quarters past 9 o^clock P. M. — This moment 
Ave have dropped our anchor, and our sails are all 
furled for tlie first time since we left New-York, We 
are only ten miles from Liverpool, and may fairly con. 
sider our passage as achieved, since we are sure of go- 
ing up with the next tide. 

The night is very pleasant, with moon and star lights 
and the water is so smooth that our cabin is quiet as 
n bed-room. Four brilliant lights, in as many light- 
houses, are in view. 

Mai/ 3, 9 o'clock A. M. — The morning is very plea, 
sant, and we shall weigh anchor within a few minutes. 
Liverpool now shows its distant spires, and we disco- 
ver, on the shores around us, a cultivated and thickly 
peopled country. 

We proceeded up the river Mersey, but the tide 
compelled us to drop our anchor three miles from the 
town ; we went on "shore in a boat, aud, as we ap- 
proached the town, the country around it presented 
a very pleasing view of green fields, wind-mills, vil- 
las, and other interesting objects ; and the noise of 
commerce, "thundering loud with her ten thousand 
wheels," indicated our approach to the busy haunts of 
men, 

A little before two o'clock we leaped ashore, and 
realized with no small emotion that we had arrived in 
England, 



34 



A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 



No. II.— LIVERPOOL. 

0ircus....Pantom}me..Jts absurdity. ..Custom-house. ...douceurs 
....American Hotel....An English Church....Cavalry....Armyof 
Egypt... .Literary Institutions., ..A Breakfast....Museum....Asy- 
lum of the Blind. ...A Slave Ship. 



May 3. — With my fellow passengers I took lodg* 
ings at a splendid hotel,^ the Liverpool Arms, 

CIRCUS. 

« 

In the evening we went to the Circus, where eques- 
trian feats, rope dancing, tumbling, and pantomime 
formed the entertainment. 

I shall occasionally attend the theatres, for public 
amusements furnish the most decisive criterion of na- 
tional taste, and no contemptible one of the state of 
public morals, and of the dignity or degradation of the 
public mind ; for when men go to be amused, they wilj 
demand such things as they really delight in. 

The Circus was crowded ; we were late, and being 
perfectly unknown, went into the gallery, as every 
other part of the house was full. 

We were surrounded by those, whose deportment 
sufficiently indicated to what class of society they be- 
longed, while they exhibited a spectacle of effrontery 
to which it would not be easy to find a parallel. 

The feats performed were truly astonishing, and dcv 
monstrated the wonderful force and accuracy of mus- 
cular movement of which the human frame is capable* 

There were two pantomimes. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 35 

The subject of the first was rustic love : of the se. 

cond, the story of Oscar and Mahina, from Ossian. 

But pantomime is altogether unnatural. In real life 
men never converse in this way, unless they are deaf 
and dumb, and such people arf> certainly the best actors 
iu pantomime. It may be said that it aObrds room for 
the display of much ingenuity, in yxpressing a whole 
narration or drama without words ;— this is true ; but 
the drama would be far more inferesting if expressed 
in words, and every one who has seen a pantomime 
must have felt a degree of impatience, and even anger, 
at the very incompetent, although ingenious, efforts 
which a performer in pantomime makes, to bring forth 
an idea, which a little plain talking would at once ex- 
press, with force and beauty. 

A man may learn to walk on his head, and every 
one will pronounce it wonderful, while all the world 
will still agree, that it is much better to walk on the 
feet. It would seem therefore that no one who has 
the use of his tongue would choose to converse by 
motions, any more than a man who has feet would 
prefer to walk on his head. 

CUSTOM-HOUSE 

May 4.— The embarrassmt^nts created by revenue 
laws, and the formalities which most civilized nations 
observe, on admitting a stranger to enter their domi- 
nions, are among <he unpleasant things which a tra. 
Teller must encounter. Our share of vexation has 
not been very great, and yet some things have occurred 
'Which one would wish to avoid. 

After our baggage had been landed, under the eye 
of a custom-house oilicer, and deposited in the public 
ware.houses, it became nrcossary for us to reclaim it. 



36 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

that is to say, in plain English, to pay a douceur to 
the examining officer, to expedite its liberation, and 
not to molest us by a rigorous examination of our 

parcels. 

Being confident that I had no articles which could 
justly be charged with a duty, I felt strongly disposed 
to resist the oppressive demand of a contribution, for 
a mere discharge, or rather for a neglect of official 
duty. But, being informed that the thing was indis- 
pensable, unless I would submit to have my baggage 
delayed several days, with every circumstance of vexa- 
tion and embarrassment, which experienced ingenuity 
could invent, I at length concluded to pay the tribute. 
But, I remarked to the person who had given me this 
information, (an Englishman) that I supposed the 
money must be offered to some of those ragged fellows 
who act as tide waiters, and not to those welLdressed 
men about the custom-house. He replied, with a smile, 
that those were the men who ultimately received the 
money. Accordingly, among all the passengers of the 
Ontario, a sum was made up which, we supposed, 
would cause Justice (a power whom allegory has ever 
represented as blind,) to become still blinder than 
before. Nor were we disappointed ; you can hardly 
imagine the effect of our douceur, for it would be 
harsh to call it a bribe. The zoelLdressed man, who 
ought to have inspected every thing in person, stood 
aloof, afTecting to be engaged in conversation with 
other people, while a beggarly fellow received the mo- 
ney. We surrendered our keys, when he opened our 
trunks, and without taking up a single article, said 
that we had behaved like gentlemen, and that every 
thing was perfectly correct, lie then closed our trunks, 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 37 

and returned the keys. Had they searched effectually, 
they would have found a quantity of costly goods, 
which, as they had not been entered, it was their duty 
to seize, and, indeed, their suspicions might well have 
been excited by the uncommon size of some of the 
trunks. 

A young Englishman, a friend of one of the pas- 
sengers, being present at the examination, remon- 
strated with the examining officer against his receiving 
money, and told him that it was a disgrace to an offi- 
cer paid by the king. The reply was ; — " Sir, I have 
a family to support, and receive but thirty pounds per 
annum ; — this is all I have to urge." I have no rea- 
son to suppose that the collector has any concern in 
this business ; but it is impossible that the thing should 
be unknown to liim, since it occurs every day, and is 
done without even the appearance of secrecy. Un- 
doubtedly he winks at the practice. 

But, it is certainly a disgrace to the government to 
starve their petty officers, and then connive at their re- 
ceiving bribes to shut their eyes on smuggled articles, 
to the detriment of the revenue, and the corruption of 
public morals. As this part of the business of the 
custom-house is now managed, the primary object of 
inspection is completely lost, while individuals are 
subjected to a vexatious and oppressive interference, 
the only efiect of which is to put money into the hands 
of the petty officers, who ought to be severely punish- 
ed for receiving it. With skilful packing, and a 
douceur so large as to be considered generous, and yet 
rot so great as to excite violent suspicions, there can 
be no doubt that goods whose value is great in propor- 

VOL, I. 4 



i 



S8 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

tion to their bulk, might be smuggled to a considerable 9| 
amount, and still pass through every formaliti) of in- 
spection, 

IVly baggage being cleared, I next presented myself 
to the collector in person, who made out duplicate 
manifests of my name, age, place of birth and resi- 
dence, profession, and business in England, together 
^vith a description of my perspn, and a list of those to 
whom I am known in Liverpool. I urote my name 
on both papers, and he retains one, and I keep the 
other. With this instrument I am next to wait on the 
Mayor, to take further steps, to ensure the safety of 
his Majesty^s person and government^ during my re- 
sidence in England. 

AMERICAN HOTEL. 

I dined to-day at a house erected and kept for the 
accommodation of the multitude of Americans who 
resort to this port. The words American hotel are 
written over the door, which is ornamented with the 
American Eagle, and the national motto, " e pluribus 
unum." 

This parade of American insignia is not addressed, 
without effect, to the national vanity of our country- 
men. They crowd to this house in great numbers. 
The inscription over the door arrests every American 
eye ; — the national eagle excites patriotic sympathies, 
and those who cannot construe the mofto, hope it means 
good living. And it must be confessed that this con- 
struction, although not very literal, is, in point of fact, 
substantially correct. The table is abundant and cheap, 
and although the house \s not, perhaps, the most gen- 
teel, the strong temptation of national sccietyj when 



ENGLANDj HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 39 

held out to beings so gi^egarious as our countrymen, 
is generally successful ; and, at the daily ordinary, a 
kind of Congress of the American States is convened, 
where, if they choose, they may rail with impunity at 
the country on whose productions they are feasting, 
nor fear a military arrest, before the next dinner. 

AX ENGLISH CHURCH. 

Mai} 5. — rOur host, this morning, conducted me 
with an American companion to church. It was a 
beautiful octagon, neatly fitted up, but its empty seats 
formed a melancholy contrast to the overflowing num- 
bers of the circus. The preacher. Dr. M , gave 

a very good discourse, and delivered it with much so- 
lemnity ; but it dwelt entirely on morality and the de- 
cencies of life, and contained almost a declaration in 
so many words that the sum of religion consists in the 
exercise of humanity and of the social virtues. 

Cicero or Socrates would hardly have said less, and, 
except the exordium and peroration, the sermon might 
have been embodied with their writings, without ex- 
citing a suspicion that its author had drawn wisdom 
from any other than Greek and Roman fountains. 

ENGLISH CAVALRY. 
The French horn and other martial instruments arc 
now sounding before the door of the hotel, and make 
one's blood move with a quicker pace through his 
veins. The band belongs to a corps of light horse 
which is reviewed every day in front of this house, 
•where Colonel Lumley, their commander, resides. For 
this ieaso!i two centinels are constantly walking be- 
fore the door, and the rooms are crowded with mill- 



40 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

tary men. This corps, with their colonel, were a part 
of the brave army of Egypt, which conquered Bona- 
parte's boasted invincibles, and terminated the war in 
the East. The surviving officers, as an honourable 
mark of distinction, wear a yellow ribbon on their 
breasts. We have one in the house who lost a leg in 
the campaign, but he wears a cork substitute, with a 
boot so nicely fitted, that, but for his limping, his loss 
v/ould not be perceived. The English light horse, 
judging from this specimen, must be admirably calculat- 
ed for celerity of movement. The horses have slender 
limbs, with great muscular activity, and are very quick 
and high spirited ;— their colour is a light bay. The 
men are also rather slender, and very active, and most of 
them young. Their dress is blue, exactly fitted to the 
])ocly and limbs ; it is composed of tight pantaloons, 
and a close buttoned short jacket, reaching only to the 
hips, and without the smallest portion of a skirt, or 
any appendage whatever, except several rows of white 
buttons, interlaced with white cord, crossing the 
breast, in a fanciful manner. They have high helmets, 
and their broad swords, which are sheathed in bright 
steel scabbards, are of such enormous length, that they 
drag behind them on the pavement as they walk, unless 
they carry them in their hands, which they often do. 
Besides the light horse, there is in Liverpool at present^ 
a regiment or two of heavy cavalry. If the former are 
eminently fitted for quickness of movement, these are 
equally adapted, by their weight and firmness, to make 
a tremendous charge. The horses are all very large 
and heavy, and by no means so quick in their move- 
ments as the others ; — their colour is black. The men 
are also large and bony, and many of them look like 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 41 

v-eterans. Their armour is heavy, and besides the 
broad sword and pistols, each soldier carries a cara- 
bine. The muzzle is fixed in a sheath in the side of 
the holsters, and the breech passes over the horseman's 
thigh. 

I suppose the principal use of this weapon is to ena- 
ble the soldier to act on foot, when his horse has beea 
disabled, or killed, in battle. 

LITERARY INSTITUTIONS. 

The politeness of Mr. Maury, the American Consul, 
procured us access to the Athenaeum and Lyceum, 
two literary institutions of very recent origin ; and 
another gentleman introduced us at a third, called the 
Union, whose plan is extremely similar to that of the 
other two. During my stay in Liverpool I have the 
liberty of visiting these institutions, under certain very 
reasonable restrictions. 

In a city so commercial as Liverpool, these estab- 
lishments must be considered as highly honourable to 
the intelligence and taste of the individuals, who have 
created and patronised them. 

Each of them has an elegant structure of free stone, 
containing a library of various literature and science, 
and a large cotiee room, where all the newspapers and 
literary journals of note are placed daily upon the ta- 
bles, for the free perusal of subscribers, and of such 
friends as they introduce. 

To a stranger these places are highly interesting, as 
alToniing, at a glance, a view of the most important 
occurrences of the country, and to the citizens they are 
not |pss useful and agreeable; for, the mere man of 
business finds here the best means of information, and 
4* 



42- A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

the man of literature can retire in quiet to the library, 
•where the librarian attends to hand down any volume 
that is wanted. 

Between institutions so similar, it is very natural, 
and doubtless it is best, that there should be a spirit of 
rivalry. I know not how much is to be imputed to 
this, but I heard it contended that the library of the 
Athenaeum is much superior to those of the other two. 
This appears not improbable, for the library of the 
Athenaeum was selected by Mr. Roscoeand Dr. Currie. 

Such institutions as these would be highly useful in 
America, and most of our large commercial towns are 
rich enough to found and sustain them.* Indepen- 
dently of the rational amusement which they afford, 
they give a useful direction to the public taste, and al- 
lure it from objects which are either frivolous or nox- 
ious. 

AN ENGLISH BREAKFAST. 

Mai/ 7. — I have been present this morning at an En- 
glish breakfast. The lady of the house had been seve- 
ral years in America, and still retained so much partia- 
lity for the country, that my reception was such as to 
make me feel that Lwas at home in England. 

Mrs. — — pleasantly remarked that I had not been 
used to such frugal breakfasts in America, and indeed 
it must be confessed, that to a northern American, 

* Boston, in the establishment of an Athenaeum upon the 
plan of that at Liverpool, has had the honnur of creating the 
first institution of this kind in-.America, and, from the acquisi- 
tions already made, as well as from ilie well-known intelli- 
gence and liberality of the people of Boston, there is reason to 
expect that it will do much credit to this country. (1809.) 



ENGLAND) HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 43 

who is accustomed to see animal food on the table in 
the morning, an English breakfast presents no very 
promising prospect. It usually consists of tea and a 
a little bread and butter. A boiled egg is sometimes 
added after morning exercise, and, very rarely, a thin 
slice of ham. If an American is surprised at the fru- 
gality of an English breakfast, an Englishman is asto- 
nished at seeing beef steaks, or fish, and perhaps bot- 
tled cider on an American table at the same meal.* 

MUSEUM. 

Liverpool has a small museum, vihich I visited this 
morning. It is not ex.tensive, but is well Morth see- 
ing, especially on account of a collection of ancient 
armour, such as was worn from the time of the con- 
queror down to the period of Elizabeth. This is a 
remnant of an age, which though barbarous, and, on 
the whole, wretched, is connected with so much heroic 
grandeur, that every authentic vestige of it must excite 
a strong interest, especially in one whose country has 
never been the theatre of a similar state of things. The 
knights, when equipped for battle, were so completely 
incased in iron, that it is not easy to conceive how they 
could move joint or limb, or even sustain the enormous 
weight of their armour, nor can one be surprised that 
an overthrow was so much dreaded, since it must have 
been an arduous task to rise under the rigidness of 
such a prison. But these were men whose limbs had 
not been enervated by luxury ; and the elegant deco- 

* I am sensible, however, that these habits are wearing away 
in our larger towns, and it is becoming impolite to eul much 
animal food in the morning ; but they are still unimpaired in 
the coiuitiy. 



44 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

rations and effeminate softness of many modern sol- 
diers would have been their jest and scorn. There 
was one singular suit of armour; or, perhaps, it should 
rather be called a robe, for it was such in fact, being a 
complete net work of small chains, so linked in every 
direction, that it formed an iron vesture, which might 
be put on and made to enclose the person completely, 
while it would leave the limbs the liberty of free mo- 
tion, and defend them from the effect of cutting instru- 
ments, although not from contusions. 

A fine panorama of Ramsgate with the embarkation 
of troops, gave me a few minutes of pleasant entertain- 
ment, on my way to visit 

THE ASYLUM OF THE BLIND. 

In this institution the incurably blind are received, 
protected, and instructed in such arts as they are capa- 
ble of learning. The object is to afford them the means 
of subsistence by personal industry, and of amusement 
under the gloom of perpetual darkness. The arts, in 
the practice of which I saw them engaged, were of 
course such as require no uncommon accuracy, and 
whose operations can be conducted by the touch ; such 
as knitting, weaving, and winding thread, among the 
women, and making baskets and cords among the men. 
Their productions were much better than one would 
imagine it possible they should be, did not experience 
prove that the loss of one sense causes so active a cul- 
tivation of the rest, that they become more perfect than 
before. How else can we account for the acuteness 
of hearing which enabled a particular blind man, by 
means of the echo produced by his whistling, to decide 
when he was approaching any object of some magni- 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AKD SCOTLAND. 45 

tude ; or, for the delicacy of touch which led the blind 
Mr. Jay* to discover, by feeling, the place where the 
two pieces of an ancient mahogany table were joined, 
which multitudes, for a succession of years, although 
in possession of all their senses, had sought in vain to 
detect. 

In the institution of which I am speaking, those Avho 
have a taste for it, learn music both instrumental and 
vocal, that they may be able to obtain their bread by 
performing in churches. 

When I entered, two blind boys were playing on the 
organ and piano, and, at my request, a choir of both 
sexes performed a piece — the dying Christian's address 
to his soul, — which they sung to the organ. This pro- 
duction, in itself very solemn and interesting, was ren- 
dered doubly so by the associated effect produced by 
the sightless choir who performed it, with much appa- 
rent feeling. Printed papers were distributed about 
the rooms, containing religious songs appropriate to 
the situation of the blind, and holding forth to them 
such consolations as must be peculiarly dear to those 
for whom the sun rises in vain. There was, however, 
in most of thern, an air of cheerfulness which served to 
enliven a scene otherwise very gloomy. The charity 
urn at the door contained this simple inscription, which 
must produce a stronger effect on every mind than the 
most laboured address to the feelings : 

" Remember the poor blind !'* 

These are the institutions which do honour to man, 

* Brother of John Jav, Esq l.ite Governor of New-York, and 
envoy extraordinary to England in the year ir94. 



46 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

kind, and shew the active efficacy of Christian benevo- 
lence. 

A SLAVE SHIP. 

The friend who had brought me to this interesting 
place, went with me to a large Guinea ship, a thing 
which I had always wished to see, with a curiosity like 
that which would have led me to the Bastile. We 
descended into the hold, and examined the cells where 
human beings are confined, under circumstances which 
equally disgust decency and shock humanity. But I 
will not enlarge on a subject which, though trite, is 
awfully involved in guilt and infamy. Our country, 
so nobly jealous of its own liberties, stands disgraced 
in the eyes of mankind, and condemned at the bar of 
heaven, for being at once active in carrying on this 
monstrous traffic, and prompt to receive every cargo of 
imported Africans. I did not come to England to see 
Guinea ships because there were none in America, but 
accident had never thrown one in ray way before. 
Liverpool is tleep^ very deep in the guilt of the slave, 
trade. It is now pursued with more eagerness than 
ever, and multitudes are, at this moment, rioting on the 
wealth which has been gained by the stripes, the groans, 
the tears, and the blood of Africans. 

There vvill be a day when these things shall be tpl^ 
In heaven ! 



r/N'GLAND, HOLLANO, AND SCOTLAND. A7 



No. Ill— LIVERPOOL. 

Sketch of the town. ...the Exchange.,. .Strtets....Pnbi;c bullcl. 
ini^.s....Populat:o:i....P,:rsuits....A!nei-ican tiade....D;;Ecuities 
of the port....Guard sr.ip....Pre.ssgan.^s.. Imprcssmeiu gross- 
ly incon.sisteiit with Eiirrlisli liberty..., Docks.. ..Mode of ad- 
mitling ships ...Ai-.ecdoie....Dry docks. 

SKETCH OF LIVERPOOL. 

3Iaij 8. — Mrs. J at whose house I have met 

a degree of frankness and hospitality, which, i( a fair 
sample of English domestic irsanners, does much credit 
to the country, informs me that there is an interesting 
circle of literary people here ; but, to a stranger, Li- 
verpool appears almost exclusively a commercial town. 
Under the guidance of Mr. Wells, an English gentleman 
who had visited America, I have been to the Exchange, 
the great scene of the commercial transactions of the 
second trading town in the British dominious. The 
Exchange stands at the head of the handsomest street 
in Liverpool, and has strong claims to bo considered 
an elegant building. It is, however, much too small 
for the commerce of the place, and for this reason they 
are now making an e.\tensive addition to it. We as- 
tended to the top of the building, where we had a good 
Yiew of the town. 

It extends between two and three miles along the 
eastern bank of the Mersey. The country rises as it 
recedes from the river, so that a part of the town is 
built on the declivity of the hill. The streets conti- 
guous to the river, which are principally on level 
ground, are narrow and dirty : they are crowded with 



48 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

carts and people, and in some of them the ware-hoases 
are carried up to a very great height. The streets on 
the slope of the hill are sufficiently wide, clean, and 
handsome, but the houses, although substantial and 
highly comfortable, are generally inelegant in their 
exterior appearance. They are constructed with bricks 
of a dusky yellow colour, obscured by the dust and 
smoke of coal ; the bricks are not polished, but have 
a degree of roughness, which makes the town appear 
somewhat rude, and we look in vain for the highly 
finished surface which is presented by the finest houses 
of New-York, Philadelphia, and Boston, to which 
towns Liverpool is inferior in the beauty of its private 
buildings. The public buildings are, however, with 
few exceptions, elegant. They are constructed of 
hewn sand stone, furnished by a quarry immediately 
contiguous to the town. There are several handsome 
churches, some of which have lofty spires of stone, and 
there is a magnificent one, with a vast dome, modelled 
and named after St. Paul's at London. 

Liverpool is said to contain about 80,000 inhabi- 
tants, who are almost exclusively employed in com- 
merce, and the various businesses immediately connect- 
ed with it ; for, although the town is not destitute of 
manufactures, most of those articles which are sold in 
America under the general name of Liverpool wares, 
are brought to this port from Staffordshire, and other 
interior counties. 

On the hill back of the town are a number of beau- 
tiful situations. There is, on the highest part of the 
hill, a place called the Mount, where there is a public 
garden, with serpentine gravel walks, and in front of 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 49 

the garden is a wide gravelled area, used as a prorae- 
nade, which commands a fine view of the city, the 
river, the opposite county of Cheshire, and the distant 
mountains of Wales. The city is surrounded by lofty 
■wind-raills, which are among the first objects that strike 
a stranger coming in from sea. On the liills are a 
multitude of signal poles ; — each principal merchant 
has one, by which a ship's name is announced some 
hours before she arrives in the river. There is a very 
great number of vessels, and among these the Ameri- 
can flag is very frequent. The American trade to this 
port is probably greater than to all the other ports of 
Britain ; it has become highly important to the mer- 
chants of Liverpool, and of this they are sufficiently 
aware 

The port is difficult of access. The tides rise from 
12 to 30 feet, and, at low water, a great part of the 
road is bare. The currents are therefore very rapid, 
and it is only at rising water that ships can get in ; 
there are, besides, so many shoals and sand banks, 
that, even then, it requires all the skill of the pilots to 
bring a vessel up to the town. 

When a ship comes round Holyhead, and a gale 
immediately succeeds, blowing in towards the shore, 
she is in danger of being lost. These circumstances 
form the principal defence of the town against an at- 
tack by sea, and are much more important to its secu- 
rity, than a battery of heavy cannon at the lower part 
of the town, and a large guard ship which is moored 
in the channel. Although stationed there ostensibly 
for the defence of the town, the most interesting ob- 
ject to the government is to afford a floating prison for 
the reception of impressed seamen. There are press 

VOL. I. 5 



I 



5Q A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

wangs now about Liverpool, and impressments daily 
happen. I saw a sailor dragged off, a few evenings 
since ; he was walking with one who appeared to be a 
woman of the town, and he of course was considered 
as a proper object of impressment ; for, it is the uni- 
form practice of the press gangs to take all whom they 
find in such society, and all who are engaged in night 
brawls and drunken revels, not that the press gangs 
have any peculiar solicitude for the preservation of 
good moralsy but because such things afford somewhat 
of a pretext for a practice which violates equally the 
laws of natural liberty, and the principles of English 
freedom. I grant it is necessary, but it is still grossly 
unjust, and were consistency regarded when it inter- 
feres with national policy, the English courts of jus- 
tice would grant prompt and full redress. No doubt 
every country has a full right to the services of its 
citizens, but this right should be enforced according 
to some principle of impartial selection, which would 
place every man under the same degree of liability. 
England would rise in arms, should the military im- 
press for the army citizens of every rank, from the 
fields, the streets, and the public roads ; but, one par- 
ticular class of .men seem to be abandoned by society, 
and relinquished to perpetual imprisonment, and a 
slavery, which, though honourable, cuts them otF from 
most thu'.GjS which men bold dear. 

In Liverpool, as might be expected, American sail- 
ors are often impressed, but they usually get clear if 
they have protections, which are here more regarded 
than at sea, The press gafngs have a rendezvous on 
shore, to which they bring their victims, as fast they 
iiivd them j they have no secrecy about the matter. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 51 

for the place is rendered conspicuous by a large naval 
flag hung out at a window. One would suppose that 
-popular \engeance would be excited by this trium- 
phant display of the effrontery of power trampling on 
personal liberty, but, I believe the rendezvous is not 
'often attacked, although it probably would be, were it 
not for the strong protection of government. 

THE DOCKS. 

The ships are not here, as with us, stationed along 
the wharves, for at low water the foundations of these 
structures are in view, and ships, moored by their 
sides, would be left on the bare sand twice in twenty- 
four hours, with no small exposure to injury from the 
rapid influx and retreat of the water, and the great 
rise and fall which the ship must sostain by such pow- 
erful tides as (low in this channel. 

To obviate these, and other inconveniences, the 
ships are hauled into docks, where they lie in perfect 
security. 

These docks, of which there are six wet, besides 
several dry ones, are among the principal curiosities of 
the place. 

In order to their construction, a large area on the 
bank of the river is excavated to a sufficient depth, by 
digging. It lias a rectangular form, and is enclosed 
by very deep, wide, and strong walls of massy hewn 
stone, sunk below the bottom of the cavity, and ris- 
ing to the surface of the ground. There is an open- 
ing into the bason sufficiently wide to admit one ship 
at a time. This opening is closed by gates, which 
are hinged upon opposite sides of the canal, and, when 
shut, they meet at an angle sufficiently acute to enable 



5% A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

them to sustain the pressure of the water in the bason. 
In short, they are constructed just as locks are in ca- 
nals. They open inward, and their operation is very 
intelligible. 

When the tide rises so as to bring the water in the 
river to the same level with that in the bason, the gates 
either open of their own accord, or easily yield to a 
moderate power exerted upon them. The water then 
flows indiscriminately in the river and bason, and it is 
at that time, or near it, that ships must pass in or out; 
for, when the tide turns, the current, now setting 
outwards, closes the gates ; — the water in the bason is 
retained, and the channel leading to it becomes entire- 
ly dry. The ships in the dock remain afloat, and the 
gates sustain the enormous weight of twenty feet of 
of water. Great firmness is therefore necessary in the 
structure of the walls and of every part. When there 
is too much water in the docks, the excess is let out by 
means of vent holes, and it is obvious that the whole 
can be drawn ofl" in this manner when it is necessary. 
The top of the gates is formed into a foot bridge, and 
a bridge for carts is thrown over the canal, somewhat 
nearer the outer bason. By means of machinery this 
last bridge is swung off" to one side, when ships are to 
pass. 

No small inconvenience is sustained by ships in get- 
ting into or out of dock ; they are sometimes obliged 
to wait several days either for the spring tides or for 
their turns. The Ontario will have to wait ten days 
from the time of her arrival, as she draws too much 
water for the ordinary tides, and must therefore wait 
for the next spring tide. Common ships can enter 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 53 

now, but the *On^ario is the largest American ship in 
the Liverpool trade. Much delay is said to be occa- 
sioned at the king's and queen's docks, by the captious 
and tyrannical disposition of the dock master. Last 
winter, an American captain, pretending to shake 
hands with this dock master, and, at the same time, af- 
fecting to stumble over something, pulled him off, 
along with himself, into the water. He did not value 
a fail of iO feet, with some chance of drowning, com- 
'pared with the pleasure of taking this kind of ven- 
geance on a man who was cordially Ijated by all the 
American masters of ships. 

The dry docks are intended solely for the purpose 
of repairing the ship's bottom. They are nothing 
more than long and deep canals, whose sides are 
formed into sloping steps, like stairs, and, as the ob- 
ject is to exclude the water, the gates open outwards. 
When a ship is to be admitted, the gates are thrown 
open at low water, and she comes in with the flood. 
The dock is wide enough to hold only one ship in its 
breadth, but it is so long, that several can come in, in 
succession. After they have arrived at their places, 
they are moored, and when the tide retires, they are 
left dry, resting upon the bottom of the dock, and sus- 
tained in a perpendicular position by means of props. 
The gates being closed at low water, the next tide is 

• The Ontario never returned to America. In getting out 
of dock, she struck the ground ; the tide left her on the sand, 
and. being heavily laden, she broke by her own weight, and 
the tide flowed into lier After being detained several months, 
and repaired at an enormous expense, she put to sea, and was 
ever heard of any more. 
5* 



54 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS ITS 

excluded, and thus the workmen are admitted with 
safety and convenience quite down to the keel. 

The same bridges are used here as across the entrance 
of the wet docks. 

The channel of the river Mersey affords safe anchor- 
age for ships of any burthen. 

In Liverpool the proportion of women is much grea- 
ter than of men, especially in the lower orders of so- 
ciety. The men of this grade are usually in the army 
or navy, and multitudes of the females are maintained 
by their vices. 



No. IV LIVERPOOL. 

English dinners,...Great men of the city....Wlne every wheije 
a theme....Coldness of manners. ...AUerton-Hall... .Botanical 
Garden....Mr. Roscoe....His usual retirement.... A transport 
ship... .A Quarry... Duelling ground.. ..Environs of Liverpool 
....St. Domingo... Singular compliment to the Ptince of Glou- 
cester....An English hotel....Servants....Wide difference be- 
tween them and American servants....The cause of it.... A 
French servant. 

ENGLISH DINNERS. 

I DINED to-day at Birchfield, a beautiful seat in the 
suburbs of Liverpool, formerly the residence of Mr. 
Roscoe. The house is' surrounded by highly improved 
grounds, ornamented with gravel walks, winding with 
easy turns among groves and green fields, for the ver- 
dure has now become general in this part of England. 
Mr. E- , the possessor of this mansion, has been re- 
cently elected a bailiff of Liverpool, and, on this occa. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 55 

sioHj gave a kind of official dinner to the mayor, the 
aldermen, the town clerk, and other officers of the city. 
A previous introduction to their host, gave me the ho- 
nour of dining with these gentlemen, and several others 
of the first citizens. There were two gentlemen at ta- 
ble, who, when the income tax was laid, gave in their 
incomes at twenty thousand pounds sterling, or almost 
ninety thousand dollars. 

Our table was loaded with luxuries and splendidly 
furnished. Tlie arrangements however differed very 
little from those which are usual at the tables of peo- 
ple of fortune in America. There was one custom 
which was wholly new to me. The gentlemen chal- 
lenged each other to drink ale, just as is done, every 
where else, with wine, at the same time wishing health; 
this w^as merely introductory to the drinking of wine.* 

The beef was not superior to the best in our mar~ 
kets ; the apples were hard and insipid, having some- 
what the taste of raw turnips, and there was no article 
better than the correspondent productions of America, 
except the ale. 

The manners of the gentlemen were substantially 
the same with those of similar American circles. Most 
of the subjects of conversation were so personal and 
local, that a stranger could not be supposed to be in- 
formed concerning them, and could scarcely speak up- 
on th^m without indelicacy, had he chanced to possess 
sufficient information. The only topics which could 
be considered as at all general were the alleged pecula- 
tion of Lord Melville, and the best method of ripening 
wine. 

* I never observed this practice at any other place in Eng- 
land, and iheref'jre presume it was a local custom. 



56 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

To a country needing, at this crisis, all its resources 
for the defence of its liberties, rt is not strange that 
the former topic should appear highly important. 

As to the ripening of wine, this is a subject of uni- 
versal interest among convivial men, and forms a stand- 
ing topic of discussion, on both sides of the Atlantic, 
in those circles where abundant drinking gives bril- 
liancy to wit, and ardor to patriotism ; and while the 
faculties are thus sharpened, it is no doubt very natu- 
ral to descant on the properties of this great cheerer of 
the heart of man. The bottle went round rapidly, and 
continued its circuit for several hours. Port, Claret, 
and Madeira, were the wines ; the two latter are very 
expensive in this country, and Port costs nearly as 
much in England as Madeira does with us. The Ma- 
deira is not so good as that which has been ripened in 
our warmer climates, but the Port is better, and is the 
only wine generally used in Great-Britain. Their in- 
timate connection with Portugal gives it to them in 
greater purity than we commonly obtain it, for it is 
not difficult to imitate the astringent taste and purple 
colour of this wine, so that it is adulterated and even 
manufactured with considerable facility. Before dis- 
missing this dinner, I ought to observe that the reserve 
and coldness which marked the manners of most of the 
gentlemen were strongly contrasted with the polite 
and attentive hospitality of our host, (a Scotchman,) 
who suffered no one of his guests to remain unnoticed. 
The hour of dinner was five o'clock, and 1 took French 
leave at half past nine. 

Majj 10. — 1 had the honour of an introduction to 
Mr. Roscoe on my first arrival in Liverpool, and his 
son had the goodness to condact me to-day to Alier- 



ENGLAND} HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 57 

ton-Hall^ his father's seat, five or six miles from town. 
On our way we visited the Botanical Garden, an in- 
stitution which Mr. Roscoe and Dr. Currie set on foot 
about three years since. Under their patronage it has 
flourished rapidly, and is now a fine establishment. It 
occupies five statute acres ; the ground appears to be 
well adapted to the purpose, there is a pond and a por- 
tion of marshy land in the middle of the garden for 
such plants as require a wet soil or constant immer- 
sion ; the hot-houses are extensive and handsome, and 
exhibit a great variety of exotics, while the whole gar- 
den is a place of great beauty. 

Our road to Allerton-Hall was through a most de- 
lightful country. The river Mersey was on our right, 
and the fields sloped with gentle declivity to its banks. 
The county of Cheshire was extensively in view over 
the river, and beyond that, "SVales with its rude moun- 
tains. 

Allerton-Hall is a stone building which has an air 
of grandeur ; it stands at a considerable distance from 
the road, in the midst of beautiful grounds, and appears 
every way fitted to be the residence of its present dis- 
tinguished possessor. Mr. Roscoe was, (as I am in- 
formed,) bred to the bar, but being disgusted with the 
profession, he turned his attention to literature. lie 
is now connected in business with an extensive bank- 
ing-house in liiverpool, and retired to this place that 
he might have more leisure for indulging in his favou- 
rite pursuits. His house is filled with statues, busts, 
and pictures, principally Italian, and in- his study, he 
is surrounded by the figures of the men, who are the 
subjects of his history of Lorenzo, and of Leo X. Of 
the latter work, not yet given to the world, he shewed 



I 



68 A JOURNAL OP TRAVELS IN 

me a copy, and pointed out the beauty of the plates 
executed from designs on wood. 

Mr. Roscoe's person is tall, his figure is graceful, 
his countenance intelligent, his expression mild, and 
his features what would generally be called handsome. 
He is now in middle life, and is possessed of a private 
character of distinguished excellence. From him I 
received every attention which was consistent with the 
obligations of politeness to a considerable number of 
gentlemen assembled at his table. Some of them were 
men of literature, and one in particular was said tobe 
engaged iji a biographical work upon one of the distin- 
guished literary men of the period of Lorenzo, for, Mr, 
Roscoe has diffused around him a general taste for Ita, 
lian literature. In such a circle it was unpleasant to find 
literature excluded in favour of those personal and lo- 
cal topics, which, as only neighbours and friends can 
understand, such only should participate. 1 was par, 
ticularly solicitous to hear Mr. R. speak upon his fa- 
vourite subject, the revival of arts and literature in 
Italy, but the conversation took a turn which preclud- 
ed every thing of this nature, till a call to the drawing 
room cut it short and left Mr. Roscoe at liberty, for a 
few minutes, to satisfy my curiosity. At an early hour 
in the evening I returned to Liverpool. 

A TRANSPORT SHIP. 
I found some amusement yesterday in witnessing 
the embarkation of a regiment of cavalry. The horses 
were hoisted in by means of a canvas bag which was 
made to surround the body of the animal, and tied 
with ropes over the back. To these ropes a tackle 
was fastened, and the horses were thus raised from the 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 59 

ground. When they first felt the lifting, they flounced 
and kicked violently, but, the instant their feet were 
cleared of the ground, they became perfectly still as if 
dead, and hung dangling in the air, till they were gen* 
tly lowered into the hold next the keel. There they 
stand in double rows, with their heads to a common 
manger, erected over the keel. In such a situation 
they must suffer greatly from the confined air. 

The soldiers, wit'« their wives and children (for some 
of them usually have families) are all crowded toge- 
ther between decks, immediately above the horses, and 
only a limited number are allowed to come on deck at 
once. 

A QUARRY. 

After enjoying with a companion the fine views 
from the mount, and the delightful retreat in the gar- 
dens behind it, I was forcibly struck yesterday, with 
the sight of a vast quarry on the hill contiguous to Li- 
terpooi. By constant hewing, it has now become a 
regular pit, probably 60 or 70 feet deep, and it may 
be 50 rods long and 30 rods \\k\e. Its walls are form- 
ed as if it hai' been designed for some vast cellar, they 
are very smooth and perpendicular. Carts go to the 
very bottom of this quarry by means of an easy de- 
scent cut through the solid rock ; this passage is arch- 
ed, for a considerable distance, and therefore carts 
coming out of it seem as if emerging from the ground. 

The rock is a yeMow sand stone, and, when first 
obtained, is very scft, so as readily to yield to iron 
tools, and is thus easily wrought into any form ; but, 
after a short exposure to liie air or immersion in the 
water, it hardens and continues to acquire firmness. 



60 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IK 

This makes it peculiarly fit for the construction of 
wharves and docks, which, with many of the public 
buildings here, are formed of it. In the quarry the 
stone lies in strata, which are much broken and crum- 
bled, for 10 or 12 feet from the surface, but become 
Tery regular at greater depths. 

This quarry is said to be the Hoboken^ of Liver- 
pool, where the young mefi of spirit come to partake 
in the fashionable pastime of shotting at each other ; 
for, duelling^ the opprobrium of America, is also the 
disgrace of England. 

After coming up from the quarry, we walked six 
or seven miles in the country around Liverpool. We 
were delighted with many beautiful country retreats 
at Edge Hill and Everton, eminences lying northeast 
of Liverpool. 

The grounds are universally laid out with great 
neatness, and amidst the bright verdure of groves and 
grass, the eye is agreeably relieved by the smoothness 
and light colour of serpentine gravel walks. 

The western side of Everton Hill, sloping io the 
river, presented us with green fields of great beauty, 
surrounded by green hedges, and exhibiting all that 
neatness for which English grounds are so much cele- 
brated. 

I expect much gratification from the picturesque 
scenery of England, as I am about to travel through 
the country at a season when it is beginning to assume 
its most beautiful appearance. 

St. Domingo, a seat of the Prince of Gloucester, 
the King's nephew, limited our excursion. It has an 

* A celebrated duelling ground on the Jersey shore, oppo- 
site to New-York, * 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 61 

appearance of grandeur and rural magnificence. The 
Prince of Gloucester is much a favourite in Liverpool. 
I saw an image of him as large as the life, placed be- 
neath the bowsprit of a slave ship, by way of honour- 
ing his highness. 

AN ENGLISH HOTEL. 

The Liverpool Arms is the resort of the nobility 
and gentry, as well as of men of business, and is, I 
presume, a fair specimen of this kind of establish- 
ments in England. The house is very extensive, and 
its apartments are furnished in a superior style. Over 
the door are the arms of the city of Liverpool, and 
the hotel certainly does not dishonour these insignia. 
One room is considered as common, and, for occupy- 
ing that, no particular charge is made. Besides this, 
there are several parlours, where any one who chooses 
it may be as completely retired as in a private house, 
his food being served up for him without the danger of 
intrusion. Such a parlour our little party from the 
Ontario has occupied since we have been in Liverpool. 
But a separate charge at the rate of a guinea a week is 
made for this room. 

Even the bed rooms are elegantly furnished, and 
the beds are perfectly clean, as is the whole house ; 
all the accommodations necessary for dressing com- 
pletely are furnished in the bed room, and a system 
of bells, extending to every part of this vast house, 
brings a servant instantly even to the third or fourth 
story. 

Indeed, every possible accommodation is fiJrn>bhed 
at the shortest notice, and with the utmost civility of 
manners on the part of the servants. A stranger may 

VOL. I. f> 



62 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

select, from a very ample bill of fare, such articles 
as he chooses, and he may have, in every instance, a 
separate table for himself. It is always expected that 
he will call for ^ine at dinner ; — no complaints will 
be made if he omits it, but, the oblique looks of the 
waiter, when he carries awaj the unsoiled wine glass, 
sufficiently indicate in what estimation the gentility of 
the guest is held. In short, in such a hotel as that 
which I am now describing, almost every comfort of 
domestic life may be obtained. 

But for all this there is a price. I cannot say 
however that the charges are very extravagant, con- 
sidering ^he immense taxation of this country. The 
bed is one shilling and six pence a night. A common 
breakfast of tea or coffee, with toast and an egg, will 
not exceed one shilling and eight pence,* — tea at eve- 
ning is about the same, but the dinner is much more 
expensive. If it consist of two dishes, it will cost 
five shillings, with a frugal desert. A separate charge 
is made for almost every thing ; a glass of beer will 
cost eight pence, and a bottle of Sherry wine six or 
seven shillings ; a bottle of Port five shillings, and 
one of Madeira nine or ten. In England the break- 
fast, and tea at evening, are considered as trivial meals, 
while dinner is a matter of great import, and therefore 
it is much more expensive than both the other meals, 
for supper is perfectly optional ; it is very genteel to 
eat it, although it is not'ungenteel to go without. But 
this list of charges by no means comprehends all. The 
servants at , the public.houses in England are paid by 
the guests, and not by their employers. They not only 

* The money denominations menlioned in this work are al- 

wnys sterling-, unless it is otherwise mentioned. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 63 

receive no wages, but many of them pay a premium 
for their places ; that is, the masters of the hotels farm 
out to their servants the privilege of levying contribu- 
tions, and the consideration is, their service. At our 
hotel the chief waiter assured us that he paid one hun- 
dred pounds per annum for his place, besides paying 
two under waiters, and finding all the clothes' brushes, 
and some other et cetftras of the house. He had, more- 
over, if we might credit his story, a wife and five 
children to support. The head waiters are commonly 
young men of a genteel appearance, and often dress a^ 
'well as gentlemen. 

The servants whom it is indispensable to pay in 
every public-house are, the waiter, who has three 
pence a meal ; the chamber-maid, who has six pence 
for every night that you lodge in the house ; and 
the shoe-black, wlio is very appropriately called 
hoots, and receives two pence or three pence for ever}'- 
pair of shoes and boots which he brushes. Besides 
these, the stranger who comes vtith horses pays six 
pence a night (o the ostler, and the porter demands 
six pence for carrying i[i the baggnge, and the sarne 
sum for bringing it out. The rates which I have stat- 
ed are the lowest which one can possibly pay with de- 
cency. It is usual to go a little beyond them, and 
the man who pays most liberally is, you know, in all 
countries, considered by this class of people as the most 
of a gentleman. 

These demands it is impossible to evade or repel; 
they are as regularly brought forward as the bill itself, 
and a departing guest is attended by the whole retinue 
of servants, who areolTicious to render services which 
he does not want, and should he be in a fit of mental 



64 A JOURNAL OE TRAVELS IN 

absence, }ie will certainly be reminded that the waiter, 
the chamber-maid, the boots, and perhaps the ostler 
and porter, are not to be forgotten. 

These customs, while they cannot be considered as 
honourable to the national manners, and are very 
troublesome to travellers, who are every where pes- 
tered with a swarm of expectants, are however pro- 
ductive of some very useful consequences. The ser- 
vants, looking for their reward from the guest, are 
attentive to all his wishes, and assiduous to promote 
his comfort ; their service is cheerfullij rendered, and 
not with that sullen salvo for personal dignity^ which 
we so often see in America. In England, the servant 
is co'ntented with his condition ; he does not aim at any 
thing higher, while in America a person of this des- 
cription will usually behave in such a manner as to 
evince that he regards you as being no better than him- 
self. This inconvenience, arises, however, from the 
multiplied resources and superior condition of the low- 
er orders in America, and although one would wish to 
alter their deportment, still, as a patriot, he would not 
choose to remove the cause. 

Being about to leave Liverpool, I have paid my bill, 
and after giving thfe waiter his due, I asked him whe- 
ther that was as much as he usually received ? — he re- 
plied, that it was what mere travellers paid him, but 
that American gentlemen usually paid very liberally. 

There was a French servant in the house, who, from 
the first, manifested designs upon our pockets. With 
the characteristic obsequiousness of his country, he 
was all bows, smiles, and flourishes, with most abun- 
dant declarations of the pleasure* it would giv€ him to 
consult our wishes ; and he professed a peculiar sym. 



E.NGLANDj HOLLAND, AKD SCOTLAND. 65 

pathy for our situations, as being himself a stranger. 
He had fought for his king, and lost his estate ; he 
had been in battles and sieges from Dunkirk to Tou- 
lon, and enumerated a list of illustrious commanders 
under whom he had served. Being amused with his 
harmless vanity, we listened with some attention to 
his story, and this gave him such spirits, that, " thrice 
he routed all his foes, and thrice he slew the slain." 

I called for a candle to go to bed ; — the Frenchman 
bounded through the long entry, with the elasticity of 
an antelope, and brought me one in less time than 1 
have taken to relate the circumstance, and as he pre- 
sented it, with a profound bow, begged my pardon. 
I told my companion, Mr. R , that unless we re- 
pressed this man's obsequiousness^ we should be obliged 
not only to pay him for his services, but for the loss of 
his nobility, for no one ever saw a Frenchman in a ser- 
vile situation, in a foreign country, who was not, in 
his own account of the matter, very much out of his 
proper place in society, and who had not been a mar- 
quis, or at least a gentleman. We treated our Mon- 
sieur coldly for a day or two, and his bows, smiles, 
and Jlourishes all vanished. 



6 * 



66 A. JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 



No. v.— MANCHESTER. 

Ride to Manchester.. ..Gilead House.,..Prescot....Warrington.... 
Beautiful scenery....AfFabiUty of stage companions.... Man-, 
Chester.... bunday.... English hospitality....A family scene..... 

College ....Roman camp Gothic church Prince Charles 

....Rebellion of 1745 ..Barbarities....A philosophical lecture 
....Volunteers....Sunday drilling.. .Duke of Bridge water's ca- 
nal...Ancient typography....Cotton manufactories-Method of 
stamping chintzes.... Of cutting velvets....Of singeing the 
shag....New process of bleaching... American sumac... Sketch 

■ of Manchester.. ..Manners, morals, and condition of the ar- 
tists. 

RIDE TO MANCHESTER. 

May 11.— In the afternoon I left Li's^erpool for 
Manchester, in company with my fellow-passenger, 

jVir. R . You have heard that people ride on the 

roofs of the English stage coaches. This situation af- 
fords fine views of the country, and is often a conve- 
nient refuge when the inside places are all taken. I 
mounted tlie roof, and although the situation was so 
giddy, that at first I grasped the iron railing with great 
care, I soon learned to fold my arms in security, trust- 
ing to the balance of position. 

The first interesting object which attracted our no- 
tice, as we proceeded into the country, was Gilead 
iloiise, the seat of the celebrated Dr. Solomon. I 
need not inform you that the Doctor is well known in 
America, for every man who has learning enough to 
read a newspaper, and eyes enough to peruse double 
pica letters on an apothecary's door, must have become 
acquainted with the merits and modesty of Dr. Solo- 



# 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 67 

mon. In Liverpool he is universally called a quack 
and an impostor^ but you know where it is that the pro- 
phet is usually without honour, and if the Doctor has 
missed of obtaining this reward, he has gained a more 
substantial retribution — an ample fortune. 

The first eiglit or ten miles we travelled on a paved 
way, and our progress was much embarrassed by the 
great number of carts going into Liverpool. 

Our first stage was Prescot, an ancient town, built 
of brick. The appearance of that street through which 
we rode was disagreeable. Here the rain compelled 
me to leave the roof for the inside. Eight or ten miles 
more brought us to Warrington, another ancient town, 
with very narrow streets and houses of a ruinous as- 
pect. The country in its vicinity is extremely beau- 
tiful, and through the next stage of 18 miles, to Man- 
chester, we had a continued succession of green fields, 
neat hedge-rows, rivulets, and country seats ; scenes 
peculiarly delightful to us who had so recently been on 
the ocean. Our companions were social, and we found 
that the circumstance of being shut up in the same 
coach, enabled us to dispense with the formalities of 
introduction. Conversation flowed without interrup- 
tion, and every inquiry was answered with readiness. 

Lancashire is^ fine country for grass and cattle. Its 
dray-horses are animals of stupendous size ; they are 
perfectly black, very fat, and rarely move faster than 
a walk. The carts in Liverpool are drawn by horses 
of this description, and one of them was imported into 
Connecticut a few years ago, for the sake of improv- 
ing our own dray breed, but I believe the experiment 
did not succeed, as onr climate appears not well adapt- 
ed to so corpulent an animal. 



6S A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

MANCHESTER. 

Mai/ 12. — It being the Sabbath, we wandered out to 
find a church, and by chance came to the old Cathe- 
dral, where an attendant, an old man, dressed in a kind 
of uniform of blue and red, conducted us to a seat in 
the gallery, as we were strangers, and had no claim to 
any more honourable place. 

The preacher was a young man, who seemed very 
intent on exhibiting " his own fair form and just pro- 
portion." 

His sermon was a kind of discursive historical essay 
on the temporary apostacy of St. Peter ; it had very 
little theology in it of any kind. He had, however, 
one merit which his appearance would not have led one 
to expect, that of being superior to the desire of flat- 
tering at least one half of his audience ; for he remark- 
ed, that St. Peter was confounded by the question of a 
maid servant, nay intimidated by a look from a woman. 
This church was well filled, and the greater part ap- 
peared to be poor people, 

ENGLISH HOSPITALITY. 
Having as yet been in England only a few days, my 
curiosity, as you may well suppose, is active, and con- 
stantly employed, in comparing the manners of this 
old country with those of the very young one of which 
we are natives. The comparisons of travellers, and 
their general conclusions, are however always liable to 
error, because they judge from a limited view of the 
subject ; the present instance furnishes the hint, and is 
too apt to forrii the basis of the conclusion. General 
inductions are always dangerous unless drawn from a 
great number of particulars. For instance, I experi- 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 69 

enoed a great degree of rudeness from the Mayor of 
Liverpool, which produced an impression unfavoura- 
ble to the good manners of the magistracy of England, 
but the very next magistrate with whom I became con- 
versant, effaced this impression, and produced the op- 
posite; it is highly probable that both impressions were 
erroneous, and that English magistrates are much like 
those of other countries, rude, indifferent, or polite, ac- 
cording to the particular character and humour of the 
man. In recording a fact^ however, there cannot be 
any danger of erK)r, and it gives me pleasure to relate 
an instance of frank hospitality received by my com- 
panion and myself, without the smallest claim to it, 
and with the hazard which always attends the bestow- 
ing of confidence, in advance^ upon a stranger. Mr. 

T , a respectable merchant of Manchester, was our 

stage coach companion from Liverpool, and soon dis- 
covered himself to be so intelligent a man that we were 
prompted to make such inquiries as proved us to be 

foreigners. On our arrival at Manchester, Mr. T 

gave us his address, requested us to call upon him, and 
promised to shew us the curiosities of the toun. Ac- 
cordingly, we called, and were introduced into an in- 
telligent and agreeable family, whose cordial manners 
gave us confidence to accept the offer of their hospita- 
lity. We took tea with them, and would have with- 
drawn at an early hour, had not their kindness ex- 
ceeded our diffidence, and induced us to spend the even- 
ing. We found that our newly acquired friend was 
not merely a man of business. He had a literary turn, 
which was evinced by a judicious collection of ancient 
' coins, maps, and books, principally historical. Ife 
had an atlas of American maps, and made me point out 
the very spot of my residence when at home. Among 



70 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

his coins were several of the Roman emperors, and of 
the republic. On one of the coins of the republic, 
was the story of Romulus and Remus, sucking the 
wolf ; the boldness of the relief was very little impair- 
ed by time. He had also some Saxon coins which, al- 
though rude, were interesting. 

In the mean time. Dr. T -, the father of the gen- 
tleman to whose politeness we had been so much in- 
tlebted, returned from a tour of professional duty, (for 
he was a physician) and insisted on our staying to sup- 
per. Our host entertained us with bAI the kindness of 
friendship, and in the midst of convivial freedom, we 
forgot that we were strangers. The glass circulated 
©heerfully but moderately, and we felt grateful to the 
country whose inhabitants treated us with such gratu- 
itous hospitality. We found that Dr. T was a 

North Briton, and had been a warm friend to the Ame- 
rican revolution. The conversation turned upon its 
most interesting scenes, and the whole family were 
warm in their praises of Washington. In such society 
it was no difficult thing to detain us till a late hour, 
and when we took our leave, it was with warm solici- 
tations that we would repeat our visit. 

INSTITUTIONS, ANTIQUITIES, he. 

May 13 — Under the guidance of Mr. T we 

have visited the college of Manchester. The building 
is an ancient monastery, now appropriated to the edu- 
cation of eighty poor boys, who remain here only till 
they are fourteen years old, and are then apprenticed 
to various useful employments. 

The college contains a valuable library of 15,000 
volumes ; we were not however permitted to take any 
books down, as they were all defended by a lattice ol 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 71 

Avire. There is also a small collection of curiositieSj 
and among these, they shewed us Cromwell's shoUbag 
and szoord ; the protector was doubtless well furnish- 
ed with swords, for I have seen on;> in America which 
was shewn as his. The boys of this institution are 
dressed in the garb of the 16th century, which is a kind 
of petticoat of blue coarse cloth with a leather belt, 
around the waist. They wear also a cap, and a short 
jacket of the same materials. 

The venerable edifice which they inhabit, was once 
the abode of those deluded beings who .mistake seclu- 
sion for innocence and austerity for piety. It is situ- 
ated on the very place where the Romans had a summer 
station. On the other side of the town are the remains 
of a formidable camp belonging to the same warlike 
people ; the walls are in some places tolerably entire, 
and every where they are sufficiently distinct to mark 
the extent of the camp, which enclosed about 12 acres. 
I broke oft' a piece of the cement, which at a future 
day I may have the pleasvire of shewing you, for we 
have no Roman ruins in America. 

Near the college is the old collegiate church It 
was erected in the fifteenth century, and is a very ve- 
nerable remnant of Gothic architecture. I shall not 
trouble you with a particular account of tho tombs 
which ;/J contains of ancient nobility ; of its rude carv- 
ings and statues, which set all gravity at deliance ; nor 
of its grotesque tapestry, nor of the ludicrous exhibi- 
tion of seraphs playing on fiddles. The effect of (he 
whole is nevertheless very solemn, and it needs no 
great effort of the imagination to fancy ones-self trans- 
ported back to the period of the seventh Henry. Over 
the altar are suspended Ihe colours of the 72d regi- 
ment, a part of fl^e army that so bravely and success- 



I. 



72 A JOURNAL OF .TRAVELS IN 

fully defended Gibraltar, under General Elliott. The 
regiment was raised in Manchester, and on their re- 
turn, they deposited in this church, the banners under 
M'hich they fought. 

It suffered much during the civil wars, being then 
in the centre of a fortress, which was besieged by the 
Earl of Derby ; for Manchester was on the popular 
side. 

Mr. T pointed out the house in which Prince 

Charles, the Pretender, lodged in 1745, when he shook 
the (brone of the house of Hanover. Manchester was 
warmly in his interest, and I saw the place in the pul>- 
lic sq-uare, where the heads of some of the first gentle- 
men of the town, who had held commissions in the 
pretender's army, were stuck on poles, and their quar- 
ters suspended on hooks. For these and other similar 
barbarities, (for it is mockery to call them wholesome 
examples of severity,) all North Britain, to this day, 
execrates the memory of the Duke of Cumberland, un- 
der whose orders these exhibitions were made. Trea- 
son is, undoubtedly, an enormous crime, but death is 
a sufficient punishment for any'ofFence against society ; 
and there is a dignity in justice that is disgraced, by 
violations of a human form, which are equally atro- 
cious and puerile. 

/. 
SCIENXF.. 

It is no small gratification to find a taste for science, 
in a great manufacturing town, where the acquisition 
of property is the very business of life. The philoso- 
phical society of Manchester has favoured the world 
with several volumes of transactions, containing many 
important and interesting papers. Two philosophical 
men of considerable distinction reside here, Mr. AVil- 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 73 

liam Henry, and Mr. John Dalton. I have had the 
pleasure, (his evening, of hearing an interesting lecture 
from Mr. Dalton, on electricity; his statements, which 
were very perspicuous, were illustrated by several very 
apposite experiments. His lecture.room is in a build- 
ing belonging to the philosophical society, and his lec- 
tures are given to citizens of Manchester, of various 
pursuits and of both sexes. The theatre opened at the 
same ho«r with his lecUire, but its attractions were 
not sufficient to draw off a considerable number of 
young ladies, who composed a part of Mr. Dalton's au- 
dience. 

VOLUNTEERS. 
I have seen a review of several regiments of volun- 
teers raised in this town, and held in readiness to act, 
in case of invasion. They are composed principally of 
mechanics and manufacturers, but gentlemen of the 
highest rank and 6rst fortune, equally with the lowest 
of the people, join these military associations. Their 
appearance at the review was such as to do them much 
credit, although they are far from being such perfect 
machines as regular soldiers. The review was on Sun. 
day, because this day does not interfere with the work 
of the artists. We are not informed whether any mili- 
tary Kenmcoit has discovered, in some newly" found 
manuscript, such a reading as this, in the decalogue— 
" six days Shalt thou labour, and the seventh shalt thou 
train ;'> however this may be, Sunday drilling is said 
to have become general, in England, since the alarm of 
invasion has turned them into a nation of soldiers. 

VOL. I. 7 



74 A JOURNAL OP TRAVELS IN 

DUKE OF BRIDGEWATER'S CANAL. 
You have heard of the Duke of Bridgewater's canaL 
and will of course conclude that I have visited so inte-^ 
resting an object. It was cut for the sake of bringing 
the Duke's coal to this town. The canal connects 
Manchester and Liverpool, and, in the distance of thir- 
ty railes between these two towns, there is not one 
lock; the canal proceeds on a level, or nearly so, and 
to this end it perforates hills and crosses valleys and 
rivers, on arches raised for its support ; it even crosses 
the river Mersey, and, at the same moment, boats may 
be seen passing under the arches of the canal, along 
the river, and other boats floating over the arches and 
crossing the river, as if in the air : a river above a ri- 
ver. Near Manchester the canal passes under ground 
foi- a quarter of a mile ; a roof is neatly arched with 
brick, and when I placed myself at one end and hal- 
lowed, the sound was reverberated with a deep rolling 
echo, dying away at length towards the other end. By 
means of a junction with other canals, a water commu- 
nication is opened between Liverpool and Hull, and 
Ijtverpool and London, and of course between Man- 
chester, Hull and London. 

ANCIENT TYPOGRAPHY. 
Maij 14. — Mr. Roscoe's kindness has followed me 
to Manchester and made me acquainted, by means of 
a letter, despatched after I left Liverpool, with a friend 
of his here who has distinguished himself by collect- 
ing, at a great expense, a rare assemblage of ancient 
and valuable books, and of uncommon specimens of 
typography. Among many varieties of the latter de- 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 7$ 

scription, he shewed me a book printed by William 
Caxton, the first printer in Britain. What a change has 
the introduction of printing effected in this island ! 
The era is not less important than that of Magna Char- ' 
ta, or of the revolution which fixed the British consti- 
tution. 

Mr. Roscoe's friend procured me access to the infir- 
mary of Manchester, an institution which does honour 
to the town. 

COTTON MANUFACTORIES. 

I have employed no small part of the time since 1 
have been in Manchester in visiting those extensive 
manufacturing establishments, which are the wonder of 
the world, and the pride of England. Every facility 
has been afforded by the proprietors, in the most libe- 
ral and attentive manner, which could give me the ful- 
lest view of those works that furnish to the United 
States so large a part of their clothing. But, after all, 
I find very little to write on a subject where you will 
be prepared to expect much. An attempt to describe 
the intricate machinery, and the curious processes by 
which our convenience and comfort are consulted, or 
our vanity gratified, would be both tedious and use- 
less. Even when one is standing amidst the din of ten 
thousand spools ; and the sounding of as many shut- 
tles, he has scarcely any distinct comprehension of the 
intermediate steps by which he sees the wonderful re- 
sults produced ; and must himself become a weaver, or 
^ spinner, before he can detail to another the particu- 
lars of these seemingly simple arts. Yet my impres- 
sions have not been altogether too vague for descrip- 
tion. 

It was a new fact to me, that the most beautiful of 
the chiutses are stamped by means of copper cylinders^ 



76 A JOURNAL OP TRAVELS tN 

on which the figures are engraved ; these cylinders are 
covered with the proper substance, and then impressed 
on the stufi's by rolling. 

The velvets are woven, at first without any of that 
downy coating, which makes them so pleasant to the 
touch. The threads which are to form this shag, are, 
in the first instance, inserted at both ends in the very 
texture of the cloth, so as to produce a vast number of 
small loops, running in rows, from one end of the 
piece to the other. These loops are cut by hand. The 
cloth is extended horizontally on a machine, and the 
artist inserts among the loops a long slender knife, 
much resembling a very delicate sword ; this, guided 
by one hand only, he pushes along so dexterously, as 
to cut the whole series of loops for several yards, at 
one thrust, without piercing the cloth, unless a knot 
or other obstacle turns his instrument aside. This 
operation being repeated along every thread in the 
whole breadth of the piece, a shag is at length raised 
over the whole surface. But it would be very rough 
and inelegant if left in this state. To remove its 
roughnesses, the whole piece i» made to pass rather 
slowly over a red hot iron cylinder, and in absolute 
contact with it ; and during the whole operation, the 
iron is maintained at a red heat, by the aid of a fur- 
nace. I would not assert a thing seemingly so incre- 
dible, had I not witnessed the process ; and my asto- 
nishment was not less than your incredulity will be, 
provided the fact be new to you. This operation is not 
confined to the velvets. Most of the cotton goods are 
singed in the same manner, to smooth them for the 
final finishing ; and they assured me (what indeed ap, 
pears scarcely credible) that the finest muslins wera 
treated in the same way. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 77 

The new process of bleaching is now extensively in- 
troduced at Manchester, and has, I believe, nearly sub- 
verted the old. The bleaching, which used to occupy 
months, is now performed in a few days. 

Manganese, sulphuric acid, water, and common salt, 
.are placed in large leaden stills, heated by steam. A 
very suffocating and corrosive gas* rises, which is made 
to pass into water, having abundance of lime suspend- 
ed in it ; the lime condenses the gas, and produces 
with it the bleaching drug, into a solution of which the 
goods are plunged, and it is wonderful with what ra- 
pidity the colour is discharged. Some weak acid is 
usually added to liberate the bleaching principle. This 
method of bleaching is a discovery of modern chemis- 
try, and when you consider that all the coloured cot- 
ton stuffs must be first bleached before they can be 
dyed, you will see at once the great importance of the 
discovery. The saving is in time, for the materials are 
more costly than those employed in the old way. ^ 

A great deal of American sumac is used here in dy- 
ing. I learned in one of the dye-houses that the Ame- 
ricans give themselves unnecessary trouble in grinding 
this article, and that it is quite as useful in the state of 
leaves, merely dried, and packed in that condition. 
Probably there may be so much saving in freight, in 
consequence of grinding, as to pay for that operation. 

The factories here are very numerous, and wonder- 
fully extensive. Some of them employ 1200 people, 
notwithstanding the application of the steam engine, 
as a moving power, in a great multitude of the proces- 
ses. The country, for many miles around Manches- 
ter, is tributary to the great factories. Spinning, weav- 

* The oxigenized muriatic. 
7* 



78 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

ing, and other preliminary operations, are performed 
in the villages and cottages, and the fabrics are brought 
into town to be finished. While I was walking with 
some of my stage companions through a village near 
Warrington, a shower caused us to seek shelter in the 
cottages, and we feund the people employed in this 
manner ; their appearance was aeat, cheerful, and com- 
fortable. 

SKETCH OF MANCHESTER. 

Manchester is built principally of brick ; the mo- 
dern houses and streets are spacious and handsome, 
but the ancient streets are narrow, and the buildings 
mean, ruinous, and defaced with smoke. It contains 
numerous churches, and some humane and liteyary in- 
stitutions ; it employs a 'great part of a population of 
from eighty to ninety thousand inhabitants, in manu- 
facfuring cotton, and in the various businesses con- 
nected with this. The town stands on a plain, and has 
three small rivers running through it, which afford 
great conveniences to its manufacturing establishments. 
The names of these rivers are the Irwell, theMedlock, 
and the Irk. The manufacturers, who are of both 
sexes, and of all ages, appear generally pale, thin, and 
deficient in muscular vigour. The fine fibres of the 
cotton irritate their lungs ; and the high temperature 
necessary in most of their processes, together with con- 
stant confinement in hot rooms, and, more than all, the 
debauched lives which too many of them lead, make 
them, at best, but an imbecile people. 

The wages of the labouring manufacturers are high, 
at present, but so few of them lead sober and frugal 
lives, that they are generally mere dependants on daily 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 79 

labour. Most of the men are said to be drunkards, 
and the women dissolute. 

How ditferent these scenes, where 

" The pale-fac'd artist plies the sickly trade," 

from our fields and forests, in which pure air, uncon. 
strained motions, salubrious exhalations, and simple 
manners, give vigour to the limbs, and a healthful as- 
pect to the face. 

I am not, however, disposed to join those who rail 
at manufactures without informing us how we can do 
without them. I am fully persuaded of their impor- 
tance to mankind, while I regret the physical, and, 
more than all, the moral evils which they produce. 

Liverpool is the second town in England for foreign 
commerce, and Manchester the second for population. 

To-morrow morning I shall leave this town for the 
Peak of Derbyshire, where I may be detained a day or 
two by its mineral curiosities. 

My companion, Mr. R , having business in 

the northern manufacturing towns, and not caring to 
descend with me into mines and caverns, will leave me 
to-morrow, and depart for Yorkshire, while I must 
make my way alone; but, although solitary, I shall 
go cheerfully forward, nor feel disposed to adopt the 
plaintive strain ; 

** Remote, unfriended, melancholy, slow.'* 



80 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

No. VI.— JOURNEY TO THE PEAK. 

Leave Manchester.. ..Stockport....Use of the word ya/r.... Eng- 
lish stage coaches....Guards.... Baggage... .Barren mountains.... 
Buxton ...Ride on horseback,. ..Tideswell....Country people, 
their manners and language.. ..Singular scenery.... Beautiful 
contrast..,. Ancient castle. 

KIDE TO BUXTON. 

May 15. — This morning, at five o'clock, I left 
Manchester, in the stage, for Buxton. The environs 
of Manchester appeared handsome, from the number 
of well cultivated fields, and neat houses, and two or 
three inconsiderable villages occurred in the distance 
of six miles, which brought us to Stockport on the 
Mersey. Stockport is a considerable ancient town, 
built of brick. There are some good houses, but most 
of them are decayed and destitute of beauty. The 
town has a considerable manufacture of cotton and 
printed goods. It stands on the declivity of a hill, and 
has a bridge over the Mersey, which was blown up in 
1745, to prevent the retrieat of the rebels. 

When we left Manchester, early in the morning, 
the sky was cloudy, and the weather threatening. On 
my getting into the coach, a stranger accosted me very 
civilly, and remarked that it was a fair mornings I 
bowed assent, although I could not comprehend how 
such a morning could be considered as fair. But, in 
the progress of our conversation, I found that he con- 
sidered every day as fair which is not rainy. If this 
use ©f the word be general, it indicates that the fre- 
quent rains in this country cause them to assume a 
lower standard of fine weather, than what prevails in 
climates where the sun shines more constantly. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 81 

At Stockport we crossed the Mersey, and entered 
Cheshire. The weather becoming what 1 had been 
accustomed to consider as fair, that is, the 8un really 
shining forth, I was induced to take a seat on the top 
of the coach, with the guard. Most of the English 
stage coaches travel with a guard. He is armed with 
a blunderbuss, or more commonly with pistols, which 
are fixed in holsters, connected with the top of the 
coach. To the duty of defending the coach he is rare- 
ly called ; for, since the practice of travelling with a 
guard has become general in England, the stage coach- 
es are seldom attacked. Besides guarding the coach, 
he is expected to open and shut the door, and aid in 
case of accident, so that the coachman is never called 
upon to leave his seat, and the passengers are not often 
exposed to the danger of having the horses take fright 
without any one to command the reins. Our custom 
in America is very bati on this point, for the driver 
frequently leaves his seat, and the horses are rarely 
tied. 

The English guard sits on a seat, elevated nearly as 
liigh as the top of the coach. It is usually fixed on 
a large boot or box, extending down to the frame work 
on which the carriage is supported. A similar boot 
is fixed beneath the coachman's seat, and in these two 
the baggage is stowed, and as the whole is commonly 
on springs the parcels escape with little injury. Some 
part of the baggage is usually carried on the roof. In 
this way, travellers in English stages avoid the very 
troublesome lumber of baggage in the inside of the 
coach by which we are so much annoyed in American 
stages. In the older carriages, however, the coach- 
man's and guard's seat is fixed upon the frame work, 
without any intervention of springs, and thus not only 



82 A JOURNAL OF TBAVELS IN 

they, but the baggage in the boots are constantly wor- 
ried and chafed. The accommodations for travelling 
are now wonderfully great in England, but they are of 
comparatively recent origin. As I become more fami- 
liar with them I may resume the subject. 

The guard and coachman as well as the servants at 
hotels expect their regular douceur. The rate is about 
one shilling to each for every 20 or 25 miles ; it is not 
necessary to exceed this if the distance be 30 miles. 
For every 8, 10, or 15 miles the sum of sixpence is 
usually given. This tax is inevitable, and Americans, 
from ignorance of the country, and fear of being 
thought mean, usually pay more liberally than the 
Hatives. 

In our passage across a corner of Cheshire, we rode 
through Disley and some other inconsiderable villages, 
built principally of a rude leaden coloured stone, 
but having a neat and comfortable appearance. We 
travelled over a mountainous country, along side of a 
canal, which we followed for several miles ; — boats, 
drawn by horses, were passing on the canal, and in one 
place, we saw it cross a river on arches. 

Hills, of great height and extent, were all around 
ns, and Derbyshire with its mountains was immedi- 
ately on our left. A few groves, planted by the pre- 
sent generation, and a few fine pastures appeared, here 
and there, on the hills, but, they were generally very 
rude and barren, covered, for the most part, with a 
kind of brown heath, so thick and dark, that they ap- 
peared as if the fire had passed over them ;- — you can 
conceive of nothing more desolate than the aspect of 
these hills for miles. It is to be presumed that Dr. 
Johnson never travelled here, or he would not hav^ 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 83 

discovered so much spleen at the nakedness of th^ 
Scottish mountains. 

The valleys among these hills were, with few excep- 
tions, fertile, and, in many places, the heights <vere all 
white with heaps of lime, placed on them as a manure. 
The roads were generally good, but, for a few miles 
along the canal, they were indifferent. Between 8 and 
9 o'clock, we arrived at Buxton, which is just within 
the limits of Derbyshire, at the distance of 22| miles 
from Manchester, 

EXCUUSION TO THE PEAK. 

Finding that Buxton would be an advantageous 
point of departure, in my contemplated excursion to 
the Peak of Derbyshire, I deposited my baggage at the 
inn, relinquished my seat in the stage, which was go- 
ing forward to Derby, mounted a horse at 10 o'clock 
in the morning, and set forward, on a little journey, 
from which I expected much gratification. I had long 
wished to explore some of those dark recesses, where 
the Creator has hidden the treasures of the mineral 
kingdom, and to see, with my own eyes, the arrange- 
ment of strata, the position of spars and crystals, and 
the natural state of the metallic veins. 

I had the advantage of a delightful day, and with 
an empty portmanteau, to bring back any interesting 
things which I-might find in the mines, I commenced 
my solitary journey. My road was over a very hilly 
country, and after passing the hamlet of FairQeld., 
the hills became more frequent, steep and lofty. The 
way was circuitous, vvinding, in spirals, around the 
lijUs, most of which were too steep to admit of a direct 
ascent. In one place the path led me along the edge 
of a precipice, Avhich formed one side of a deep gulf 



q4 a journal of travels in 

between two mountains ; — a fence separated me frow 
the verge of this abrupt valley, which was 150 to 200 
feet deep, and wound its way along between the moun. 
tains, to a great distance. 

I soon reached Tideswell, a considerable village in 
a charming vale. I was astonished to see, in this se- 
cluded spot, a magnificent Gothic church, in tii^e pre- 
servation. It was built in the middle of the 14th cen- 
tury, and promises to survive many more modern 
structures. 

This church, with all the houses in the town, and 
indeed, all the houses for many miles around, is con- 
structed of limestone. 

At Tideswell, the country people were assembled at 
a fair ; — a multitude of swine were collected in a par- 
ticular part of the village, and, on inquiry, I found 
that they were the object of the meeting. As I ad- 
vanced beyond Tideswell, I met numerous parties of 
the country people, dressed in their Sunday clothes, 
and going to attend the fair. I made a little conver- 
sation with several of them, and found them civil and 
obliging. They speak the language with many pecu- 
liarities of pronunciation, and with a considerable 
number of words which we never hear in America. 
Their dress was quite as decent as that worn on similar 
occasions by the same class of people with us, and their 
manners indicated cheerfulness and contentment. I 
had never seen any thing in my own country resem- 
bling the scenery which now surrounded me Lofty 
hills, or rather mountains, appeared on every side, 
sloping with an ascent rather gentle than steep. They 
were barren, rude, and dreary, v/ithout a single shrub 
or tree, and divided to the very summits by enclosures. 
They were free from rocks. — no hedges were to be 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 85 

seen,^but, every where, stone walls precisely like 
those which are so common in New England. Lime- 
stone is universally the material of the fences and 
houses ; it is dug out of these hills, .which, with a 
Tast tract of country around, appear to be founded 
upon this basis. After being burned, it is used as a 
manure, and many of the hills which I passed, were 
covered with it. On examining the fences, rocks and 
stones of the road, the limestone appeared universally 
filled with shells ol marine origin. These shells are 
perfectly distinct, and lie imbedded in the solid lime- 
stone, so that when one is knocked out, a perfect copy 
of its form is left in the cavity. Near the Peak the 
hills were every where pierced with pits, which, as I 
was informed by a man who was digging limestone, 
were lead mines. 

I dismounted to examine one. No person was 
there. The opening of the mine was down a perpenl 
dicular cavity, walled up like a well, through which 
the people, implements, and ore are conveyed in buck. 
ets, worked by machinery. A vast heap of rubbish 
was lying around the mouth of the mine. Mounting 
my horse again, I soon arrived at the summit of a hiir 
down which, as I descended, an extensive valley, all 
green and fertile, formed a surprising and interestin^c 
contrast to the rude scenery on which I had now 
turned my back. I entered the valley nof by the usu- 
al road, but by one farther east ; this gave me a view 
of the village of Hope on my right, while Castleton, 
the great object of my journey, appeared on my left. 

One of (he first objects ^.hich struck me, on enter- 
ing the valley, was an ancient castle, half broken down 
and appare.uly tottering to its fall. It stands on one 
or the mountains, upon the very eiUge of a reck, of 

TOT,. I. S 



gg A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS Il«^ 

more than ^50 feet in perpendicular height. There is 
no certain account of its origin. It is said to have 
been known to the Romans, under the name of Arx 
Diaboli, and among its ruins Roman coins and uten- 
sils have been found. Its walls are of free stone, and 
as there is no stone of this description on the moun- 
tains, the castle must have been constructed with vast 
labour and expense, by raising the materials up the 
mountains from the valley below. The castle is now 
a venerable ruin, and gives a name to the village of 
Gastleton. 



No. VII.— THE PEAK OF DERBYSHIRE. 

Castleton....The winding gate....Valley of Castleton and the 
surrounding mountains.... Ancient fosse....Castle....Mam Tor 
....Us rains....Anecdote...,Peciiliarity of language....Guides.... 
Peak's Hole.-.Descriptson of, and adventures in it....lIumour 
of the guide.,..OwdinMine...Miners.... Their cheerfulness, 
hardships and dangers....SpeedweU Mine....Subterrapeous^ 
voyage. ..Wonderful Ci^vern,...Spar Mine....Descent into it.... 
Kelurn to Buxton....Ebbing and flowing well.... Contrivance 
to s.ive labour...Singular want of curiosity. 

. CASTLETON. 

The usual approach to Castleton is through a narrow 
passage between the mountains, called the wlnnetis or 
the winding gate. Although 1 did not enter the valley 
through this defile, I visited it during my stay in Cas- 
tleton. When a traveller approaches the valley through 
the Winnt;tts, he finds himself, the moment before h« 
discovers the village, winding down the hills, through 



£NGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLANB. 87 

a gap, where rude and broken rocks overhang the road, 
and a little way ahead, seem to cross the path, and bar 
it up completely. While he is engaged in coratemplat- 
ing a scene where every thing is wild, rude and forbid- 
ding, and afl'ords no pleasure, except from the con- 
templation of grandeur, all of a sudden, the valley 
breaks upon his view, like a fine scene at the rising of 
the curtain. In the nearest part of the picture, Cas- 
tleton appears at the foot of a mountain, which is one 
of a great number that surround the valley. 

The form of the valley is that of an obtuse ellipse, 
and its diameter is three or four miles. Some of the 
mountains are barren, but most of them are verdant to 
the very top, and fences slope from their summits down 
their sides, and are continued across the valley, divid- 
ing it into rectangular fields. The appearance of these 
fields is the most eminently beautiful, just where the 
steepness of the mountain declines into a rapid slope, 
immediately before they terminate in the plain. In 
those places the fields seem as if rising up to meet you. 

Excepting the craggy passage at the Winnetts, and 
a few other similar openings, the surface of the moun- 
tains is almost wholly free from rocks, and equally 
destitute of trees. The collection of mountains of 
which I am now speaking, with all the rest in this 
northern part of Derbyshire, is called the Peak of 
Derbyshire. It is a common mistake to suppose that 
there is some one high mountain, bearing this name, by 
way of distinction. 

Running along the sides, and on and near the tops 
of the mountains, is a deep fosse with a rampart, ex- 
tending several miles ; it is said even to cross the val- 
ley, and it may be distinctly perceived, going on to 
the castle ; it is interrupted by chasms in the Moari- 



8S A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

tains, and its origin remains to this time uncertain ; in 
all probability it was a military work. 

Another thing which strikes one very agreeably in 
this general survey, is the number of sheep, horses and 
black cattle, which are seen grazing on the sides of 
the mountains, even where they are so steep that the 
animals seem rather to adhere to the hills by their sides, 
than to be standing on their feet. The sheep are the 
most adventurous and persevering, in grazing upon 
these steep declivities, and it was curious to observe 
how, in the long progress of time, they had, by con- 
stant treading, formed a succession of parallel paths, 
running round the hills in the manner of a belt, and 
continued at the distance of two or three feet, quite to 
their tops ; so as, on the whole, to form a tolerably 
regular succession of steps. The same thing had beea 
GiTected by the larger cattle, where the hills were less 
steep. 

Immediately after you have discovered the valley 
when entering it by the Winnetts, you perceive Mam 
Tor^ very near on the left. 

This appellation is of Saxon origin. 

This mountain has a singular appearance. It is 
supposed, that at some period of remote antiquity, it 
divided, probably all on a sudden, with a fissure, be- 
ginning at the summit, and proceeding to the bottom, 
in a direction nearly perpendicular, and that thus, the 
front of the mountain fell down into the valley, over- 
whelming every thing below in its ruins. This con- 
clusion is founded on the fact that the side of the 
mountain next to the valley exhibits a perpendicular 
section of bare rock and earth, exposing all the strata, 
with great regularity, and, for a long way below the 



T^}^®LANDy HOLEANB, AND SCOTLAND. ^9 

naountain, its ruins are to be seen lying in vast heaps. 
Under these ruins, at the depth of 300 feet, trees, in a 
perfect state of preservation, have been dug up by the 
miners ; there can be little doubt that they were buri- 
ed at the time when the side of the mountain fell. And 
to this moment, whenever severe frosts, heavy rains and 
violent winds occur, the mountain, in the forcible lan- 
guage of the village miners, shivers; and new quanti- 
ties of decomposed rock and earth fall into the valley. 
Hence, its very expressive appellation of the shivering 
mountain. 

An old man, belonging to the village, told me that 
as a party of gentlemen were coursing^ one day, on 
Mam Tor, the hare which they were pursuing, being 
closely urged by the dogs, leaped down the tremendous 
precipice ; the dogs had too much spirit not to follow, 
and ail were dashed to pieces. " I had a pair of 
gloves," (said the old man) " made of the skin of that 
hare." The top of Mam Tor is asserted to be 1300 
feet above the level of the valley. 

The other mountains as well as Mam Tor are known 
hy particular names. 

The old man whom I have just mentioned, had one 
peculiarity of expression which I heard frequently in 
Castleton. Instead of saying lord such an one ozsns 
this field, he would say lord such an one belongs this 
field. This is one instance among very many peculiari- 
ties of language which 1 observed among the peasantry 
of Derbyshire. I had however no serious di>iiculty in 
understanding them, although they used mai.y words 
perfectly local and provincial. 

Castleton is an inconsiderable village, but the great 
jiumber of strangers who constantly resort to it, at- 
8* 



90 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

tracted by the curiosities of the Peak, enable it 
to maintain a very good inn, known by the name of 
the CastleAnn. At this house I obtained every re- 
freshment, rendered necessary by a ride of 12 miles 
from Buxton, and after dinner, prepared to survey the 
wonders of the valley. 

It is not the happy valley of Abyssinia, where inge- 
nuity strives to add fresh charms to gaiety, and to re- 
new the attractions of repeated pleasures ; but the con- 
test here is, who shall most enhance the horrors of 
frightful caverns, and magnify the wonders which are 
found amidst the trickling of incessant subterranean 
showers, and the gloom of everlasting darkness. 

There are guides who make it their busiues to con- 
duct strangers into these scenes ; and there is a dis- 
tinct guide for each curiosity. 

THE PEAK'S HOLE. 
Having procured the proper guide, I went first to 
see the famous Peak's hole. As we approached this 
wonderful cavern, we crossed a bridge over a rivulet, 
which issues from the mouth of the cave ; this moulh 
is at the bottom of a perpendicular rock, that forms 
part of the front of the mountain. The form of this 
part of the mountain is like that of a book set on end, 
and half opened, the back of the book being from the 
observer. Near the angle is the mouth of the cavern. 
As we proceeded into the fissure, I looked up these 
rocky walls, and saw the old castle at a giddy height, 
apparently threatening to fall. The guide pointed out 
several veins of lead. The entrance into the cavern 
passes close under the right side of the two precipices, 
which meetinfi; at an acute an^le, form the fissure in the 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 91 

mountain. Impressions of sublimity are produced by 
looking up this precipice of 250 feet, perpendicular 
height, and a kind of horror is added to the place by 
numerous jackdaws, which build their nests in the cre- 
Tices, and find in these inaccessible cliffs a secure re- 
treat ; they were continually flying, in a black cloud, 
around the rocks, and disturbing the air with their 
croaking. These rocks are lime stone, filled with ma- 
rine exuviae. We now entered the cavern. It opens 
with a grand arch, almost mathematically regular, but 
the abutment on the left is considerably lower than 
that on the right. This arch is 120 feet wide, and 70 
feet high, reckoning from the level of the abutment on 
the left. Under this magnificent portico, we entered 
the first cavern, which is 180 feet long, the arch fall- 
ing a little towards the farther end. I was surpris- 
ed to find the cavern inhabited. A number of poor 
women and children carry on here a manufacture of 
cord and twine, and some of them live here permanent- 
ly in small huts, sheltered by the impending mountain. 
Having arrived at the end of this first cavern, I looked 
back with feelings of awe and solemnity, not unmixed 
with something \ery much like dread. This cavern 
is only a continuation of the great arch at the entrance, 
falling as it recedes from the light, of which there is 
however enough to enable one to see the whole of it, 
and to make him realize that a mountain is over his 
head. This arched roof, being of lime stone, abounds 
with calcareous concretions, and a remarkable one was 
pointed out, which, from its form, and the manner in 
which it depends from the roof, is called the Flitch of 
Bacon. 



9% A JOURNAL (W> TRAVELS IN 

The end of the cavern is so much contracted in its 
dimensions, that it has been completely closed up, by am 
artificial wall, where there is a door, of which the guide 
has the key. The wall and door are intended to ex- 
elude impertinent visitors, and to secure to the guide 
theexclusiYe privilege of conducting strangers throughi 
the place. 

My guide now took several lighted candles in his 
hands, and gave me one. He then disclosed the en- 
trance of his infernal dominion ; not with all that " im- 
petuous recoil and jarring sound," which once " grat- 
ed harsh thunder" to " the lowest bottom of Erebus," 
but with as much pomp as might be supposed to at*, 
tend the opening of a door of rough boards, moving, 
reluctantly, on creaking hinges. 

After entering the door, the passage became narrotV 
and low, and we proceeded, stooping, till we arrived 
in a place called the Bell House, from some resem^? 
blance between its form and that of a bell. 

Beyond this, the cavern became again low and nar- 
row, till it was almost closed, leaving only a small 
orifice of about three feet diameter. Here the rivulet, 
which we had followed up from the mouth of the cave, 
spread into a little lake, occupying the whole of the 
bottom of the cavern. But we were not stopped ; 
there was a ferry boat all ready. The bottom of it 
was spread with clean straw, and by the direction of 
my guide I got into it, and lay down flat on my back. 
My guide stepped into the water up to his knees, and 
pushed the boat before him through the narrow aper- 
ture, which was merely high enough to permit the boat 
to pass, and the guide to crawl after it. It would be 
impossible for one to pass if sitting up in the boat. It 



UNGLANS) HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 93' 

required no very vivid imagination, nor much familia-r- 
ity with classical literature, to find in this adventur* 
the Charon^ Styx^ and Avernus of poetical fable. 

We had now arrived in a new cavern, much larger 
and more majestic than any which we had yet seen. 
A flood of light was necessary to render it all visible, 
for it was 120 feet high, 200 broad, and 250 feet long. 
Its walls were lime stone, filled as before with shells. 
Crossing the rivulet on stepping stones, we next found 
ourselves in a smaller cavern, which, on account of the 
constant exudation of water from the roof, is called 
Roger Raines House. 

A large cavern, called the Chancel^ came next. Its 
appearance was broken and rude, and the lights dis- 
covered some stalactites. When the guide has notice 
that a party is coming to view the cavern, he causes a 
piece of deception to be played off in the Chancel, 
which I, being a solitary stranger, had not the pleasure 
of witnessing. When the party arrive in this cavern, 
they are, all on a sudden, astonished and confounded 
at hearing from the roof of this solitary mansion, 
which, a moment before, was dark as midnight, and 
silent as the tombs, an instantaneous burst of humao 
voices, multiplied by a thousand echoes. While they 
are, in vain, looking for the cause of this seeming en- 
chantment, a blaze of light from the roof of the ca- 
vern discovers a number of figures in white, singing 
and bearing torches in their hands. Those who are 
not in the secret, are almost persuaded that they are 
in an enchanted cave, where the scenes of romance and 
fable have real existence. The delusion vanishes how- 
ever, when they are informed, that a number of people 
from the village, equipped on purpose, have gone up a 



S4 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

secret passage to the roof of the Chancel, with e©Q- 
•ealed lights, which, at the concerted moment, they 
suddenly produce. 

We travelled on to a fissure in the rock, called the 
Devil^s Cellar, and, after descending gradually 150 
feet, we came to the half way house. The roof now 
assumed greater regularity ; three parallal arches were 
in view, and, beyond these, a cavern like a bell, called 
Tom of Lincoln. Proceeding, we found the cavern 
■very various both in height and breadth ; the rivulet 
appeared perfectly transparent, and its bed was white 
with calcareous spar, brought down and rounded by 
the water. 

At length we reached the end of this grand subter- 
ranean wonder • its whole length is 2250 feet, or nearly 
half a mile. 

My guide assured me that he had put pieces of bark 
into a particular water four miles from this place, and 
had found them afterwards floating down this rivulet, 
■whence he concluded that there was a subterranean 
connection. He was very intelligent, extremely at- 
tentive to my safety, and, although an unlettered man^ 
had no small share of humour. lie entertained me 
with an account of distinguished persons, who had 
Tisited the cavern in his time, among whom he named 
Dr. Solander, Sir Joseph Banks, and the Prince of 
Wales. 

I inquired whether ladies ever visited the cave ? He 
replied, " O yes ! two ladies to one gentleman !'* 

*' Ah, how is that ? — Have the ladies more curiosity, 
or more courage than the gentlemen ?" ^' I don't 
know I the ladies have a deal of curiosity /" 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLANB. ©5 

I then asked him whether he was afraid the French 
would come ? He answered, " No ; but I wish I had 
Bo.ia parte in my power." 

" What would you do with him ?" " I would chain 
him at the end of ray cavern, and keep him for a sight : 
I should then have visitors enough." 

We now retraced our steps. I was again laid in 
the little boat, and ferried through the narrow pas- 
sage ; — we travelled back as fast as we could with 
safety, and with candles burnt down to our fingers, 
again reached the woodea door, and opening it, I beheld 
the light, with a liiile secret joy^ which, had I been 
questioned, I might have been too stout-hearted to 
have acknowledged. 

We returned to the village ; and, having procured 
another guide, I went, in a heavy rain, nearly a mile 
on foot, to see the most ancient and productive lead 
mine in Great Britain. 

THE OWDIN MINE, 

to which I allude, is believed to have been wrought 
by the Romans and Saxons. However this maj be, 
the enormous mass of rubbish, collected near its 
TTiOuth, demonstrates that it has been worked for a 
very long period. It is situated near the foot of 
Mam Tor. 

The first thing that attracted my attention, on en- 
tering the small huts around the mine, was the beat- 
ing of the ore. This is performed by women ; (hey 
break it to pieces with a kind of mallet ; it is then 
sifted, washed, and sent away to be smelted. 

My guide conducted me into his icarcLrobe^ where 
■J put on a miner's dress. It consisted of an old tow- 



96 A Journal of travels in 

cloth pair of breeches, coarse and dirty ; a woollen 
short jacket in the same condition, and an old hat, 
with the brim all cut off, except three or four inches, 
and that turned behind. 

With a lighted candle stuck into a piece of clay, I 
liow followed my guide into these dark, damp, and 
solitary regions. He carried a lighted candle in his 
hand, and two more were suspened from his neck. 

The mine opens into the side of the mountain, be- 
tween two walls of lime stone ; the entrance is about 
two feet wide and five feet high. Of course we went 
in, stooping, and with very little room to spare on 
either side. In this manner we proceeded through a 
passage always narrow, and varying in breadth ac- 
cording to the breadth of the vein. The descent was 
gradual, and the bottom of the passage being every 
where deep, with mud and water, was rendered some- 
what more practicable, by boards and timber, which 
were, how'Over, generally buried in the mire. 

We went forward, stooping ; — sometimes almost 
creeping, and often through passages so narrow, that 
it was necessary to go srdewise. 

Over our heads was a flooring of boards laid on 
wooden rafters, to support the loose earth and stones ; 
from this roof the water was every where dropping and 
trickling down the walls, so that we were kept con- 
stantly wet. 

Our path frequently led us over pits sunk 40 or 50 
feet, like wells, down to another gallery, similar to 
that in which we now were. Through this lower gal- 
lery the water of the mine runs off. Some care was 
of course necessary, in p^issing by these shafts, lest 
we should step into them ; but they are generally in 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, ANB SCOTLANB, 97 

some measure covered with boards. In this manner 
we travelled on half a mile, into the bowels of a moun. 
tain. 

When we had reached the end of our journey, we 
ascended into a great cavern, whicli they had excavated 
to the distance of forty feet above our heads. The 
ascent was by means of timbers fixed in the crevices of 
the rock, like the rounds of a ladder. Here I took 
hold of the pick axe, and broke off some of the lead 
ore to bring away as specimens. 

We returned a part of the way, and then took an 
excursion into another vein which diverged from the 
principal one at an acute angle ; this vein has been ex- 
plored for a mile, but, we contented ourselves with 
going only half this distance. 

In our progress through the mine I had the satisfac- 
tion of seeing, in their native situations, the most im- 
portant ores of lead ; the beautiful crystalizations of 
fluor spar, and calcareous spar ; the sulphat of barytes, 
native copperas, and extensive strata of limestone, fill- 
ed with the most curious petrifactions. The scene 
was to me extremely interesting and instructive, and 
two hours passed rapidly away in the mine. The ore 
is conveyed to day light by means of small waggons. 
The nature of the situation necessarily precludes the 
employment of any domestic animal, and the miners 
therefore act in their stead ; they are literally harnes- 
sed to the waggons, with collars and traces, and thus 
travel back and forward through these dismal regions. 
They are obliged to go at least half a mile with every 
load, and all the way through darkness, and very often 
their load is nothing but rubbish, for, it is indispensa- 
ble that this be constanly removed, otherwise the gal- 

VOL. I. 9 



98 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

lery would be so obstructed, that no work could be 
done. Yet, they usually spend their whole lives here, 
and seem a very cheerful class of men. My guide had 
been twenty.five years in the mine, and his father and 
grand-father had consumed all their days in the same 
place. 

We now returned to the light, bringing with us 
specimens of the different productions of the mine, 
which I hope at some future day to shew yon. The 
terrors of such places are not all imaginary. Some- 
times the roof falls in, and the miners are buried be- 
neath a mass of stones and earth ; sometimes a sud- 
den flood of water drowns them, and at other times 
they are destroyed by the gun powder blasts with 
which they rend the roclis. These occurrences are not 
frequent, and yet they have all happened in the Ovvdin 
mine. 

The greater part of the inhabitants of Castleton 
are miners. Their condition seems as unchangeable 
as that of the Hindoo casts, for although not made 
hereditary by the compulsion of law or the influ- 
ence of religion, it becomes so by a kind of necessity, 
and fhus men, women and children, from generation to 
generation, are all, in one way and another, employed 
about the mines. 

Having thrown off my miner's dress, I went with 
another guide to see 

THE SPEEDWELL OR NAVIGATION MINE. 

This mine proved to be a very different thing from 
that which I had just left, and I found ho difficulty in 
wearing my usual dress. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 99 

AVe entered a wooden door, placed in the side of 
a hill, and descended 106 stone steps, laid like those 
of a set of cellar stairs. The passage was regularly 
arched, with brick, and was in all respects convenient. 

Having reached the bottom of the steps^ we found 
a handsome vaulted passage cut through solid lime 
stone. The light of our candles discovered that it 
extended horizontally into the mountain, and its floor 
was covered with an unruffled expanse of water, four 
feet deep. The entrance of this passage was perfectly 
similar in form to the mouth of a common oven, only 
it was much larger. Its breadth, by my estimation, 
was about five feet at the water's surface, and its height 
four or five feet, reckoning from the same place. 

On this unexpected, and to me at that moment, 
incomprehensible canal, we found launched a large, 
clean and convenient boat. 

We embarked, and pulled ourselves along, by taking 
hold of wooden pegs, fixed for that purpose in the 
walls. Our progress was through a passage wholly 
artificial, it having been all blasted and hewn out of 
the solid rock. You will readily believe that this ad- 
\enture was a delightful recreation. I never felt more 
forcibly the power of contrast. Instead of crawling 
through a narrow dirty passage, we were now pleas- 
antly embarked, and were pushing along into I knew 
not what solitary regions of this rude earth, over an 
expanse as serene as summer seas. We had not the 
odours nor the silken sails of Cleopatra's barge, but 
we excelled her in melody of sound, and distinctness 
of echo ; for, when, in the gaiety of my spirits, I began 
to sing, the boatman soon gave me to understand that 
no one should sing in his mountain, without his per- 
mission ; and before I had uttered three notes, he broke 



100 A JOURNAL OP TRAVELS IN 

forth ia such a strain, that I was contented to listen, - 
and yield the palm without a contest. His voice, 
which was strong, clear and melodious, made all those 
silent regions ring ; — the long vaulted passage aug- 
mented the effect ; — echo answered with great distinct- 
ness, and had the genii of the mountain been there, 
they would doubtless have taken passage with us, and 
hearkened to the song. In the mean time we began 
to hear the sound of a distant waterfall, which grew 
louder and louder, as we advanced under the mountain, 
till it increased to such a roaring noise that the boat- 
man could no longer be heard. In this manner we 
went on, a quarter of a mile, till we arrived in a vast 
cavern formed there by nature. The miners, as they 
were blasting the rocks, at the time when they were 
forming the vaulted passage, accidentally opened their 
way into (his cavern. Here I discovered how the canal 
was supplied with water ; — I found that it communi- 
cated with a river, running through the cavern at right 
angles with the arched passage, and falling down a 
precipice 25 feet, into a dark abyss. 

After crossing the river, the arched way is continu- 
ed a quarter of a mile farther, on the other side, mak- 
ing in the whole half a mile from the entrance. The 
end of the arch is 600 feet below the summit of the 
mountain. When it is considered that all this was 
effected by mere dint of hewing, and blasting, it must 
be pronounced a stupendous performance. It took 
eleven years of constant labour to eifect it. In the 
mean time the fortune of the adventurer was consumed, 
without any discovery of ore, except a very little lead, 
and, to this day, this great work remains only a 
■wonderful monument of human labour and persever- 
ance, 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. li)l 

During the whole period of five years that they con- 
tinued this woxk, after they crossed the cavern, they 
threw the rubbish into the abyss, and it has not sensi. 
bly filled it up. 

They have contrived to increase the effect of the 
cataract by fixing a gate along the ledge of rocks over 
which the river falls. This gate is raised by a lever, 
and then the whole mass of water in the \auUed pas- 
sage, as well as that in the river, presses forward to- 
wards the cataract. I ascended a ladder made by pie- 
ces of timber fixed in the sides of the cavern, and with 
the aid of a candle elevated on a pole, I could discoter 
no top ; my guide assured me that none had been found 
although they had ascended very high4^This cavern is, 
without exception, the most grand and solemn place 
that I have ever seen. When you view me as in the 
centre of a mountain, in the midst of a void, where 
the regularity of the walls looks like some vast rotun- 
da ; when you think of a river as flowing across the 
bottom of this cavern, and falling abruptly into a pro- 
found abyss, with the stunning noise of a cataract ; 
when you imagine, that by the light of a fire work of 
gun-powder played off on purpose to render this dark- 
ness visible, the foam of the cataract is illuminated 
even down to the surface of the water in the abyss^ 
and the rays emitted by the livid blaze of this prepa- 
ration, are reflected along the dripping walls of the 
cavern, till they are lost in the darker regions above, 
you will not wonder that such a scene should seize on 
my whole soul, and fill me with awe and astonish- 
ment ! 

After ascending from the navigation mine, I attempt- 
ed to go up the front of one of the mountains, with 
the double purpose of obtaining a view of the valley 
9 * 



^a^^^f A^<^^ /^^^ /i:^'^ 



u^y-f 



102 A JOURSAL OF TRAVELS IN 

from an elevated point, and of reaching the ancient 
castle. But, my labour proved fruitless ; the mountain, 
which from the valley seemed not difficult to ascend, 
proved to be exceedingly steep. I toiled on, two thirds 
of the way up, still finding it steeper and steeper, and 
still resolved not to relinquish my purpose ; in the 
mean time it grew dark, with the decay of twilight, 
and I was suddenly enveloped in mist and rain ; the 
steep side of the mountain became very slippery ; I 
fell frequently, and, at length, a deep and abrupt chasm 
torn by the floods, completely arrested my progress, 
and compelled me to make the best of my way down, 
which I did with no small difficulty. In the midst of 
darkness and rain, I reached the Castle-Inn, complete- 
ly drenched, and exhausted with fatigue. 

Mai/ 16. — ^Thespar mine was the only curiosity of 
the valley of Castleton which remained to be explored. 
I rose with muscles somewhat rigid from the fatigue of 
yesterday, and immediately repaired to the mouth of 
the mine. It derives its name from its being the place 
where they obtain the beautiful fossils, known to mi- 
neralogists by the appellation of fluor spar, and to the 
Derbyshire miners by that of blue John. The mine is 
situated near the Winnetts. It was first opened for 
lead, but, being found to afford very little besides the 
fluor spar, was neglected, till this substance, by the 
discovery of a new art, acquired a value which it had 
never possessed before. During the last forty years 
the mine has therefore been wrought for the fluor 
spar alone, since ingenuity has contrived, by the assis- 
tance of the lathe, to convert this very brittle mineral, 
into candlesticks, pillars, pyramids, artificial grottoes, 
urns, vases, and other ornamental and useful produc- 
tions, which now form some of the most splendid and 



^.\ * 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 103 

exquisitely beautiful decorations of the halls of nobi- 
lity, and of the palaces of kings. 

The mouth of the mine is situated in the side of a 
high hill, and is closed with a door furnished with a 
lock. This door I found shut, and was not able to 
obtain admittance till 2 o'clock in the afternoon, ow- 
ing to a misunderstanding as to the hour, between me 
and my guide. The intervening time was spent in 
making up for the defeat of last night, by clambering 
the mountains, and taking views of this interesting val- 
ley from several points. On the heights I found a 
gentleman and lady who, like me, had come to see the 
curiosities of the place. People who are on the same 
adventure easily become acquainted ; I found them 
very aiifable and polite ; we were familiar at once, and 
formed a little party up Mam Tor. We found the as- 
cent steep and laborious, nor had we quite reached the 
summit, when I descried the people coming up out of 
the door of the spar mine, which they had closed, and 
locked after them, when they descended to work in the 
morning. While I hastened down, and secured the 
guides, the gentleman and lady followed more delibe- 
rately, but when they arrived, and saw the mouth of 
this gloomy Achei'oriy the lady's heart failed her ; the 
husband, as might be supposed, would not leave 
his wife alone, and I proceeded without them. Having 
lighted our candles, we descended more than an hun- 
dred wooden steps, under a vault of stone; we then 
proceeded through passages generally narrow and low, 
and rendered muddy by the constant oozing of water 
from the roof and walls, but occasioually, they were 
wide and lofty, presenting numerous caverns of vari- 
ous shapes and dimensions, where rocks and cliffs pro- 



104 A JOURNAL OF TRATEL9 IN 

jected and hung in every grotesque and threatening 
form. 

We descended perpendicularly into a deep pit, 
where they were at that time mining for the spar; we 
made our way down by stepping on pieces of wood, 
fixed in the crevices, and on such projections of the 
rocks as came in our way. At the bottom of this pit, 
there were several veins of the fluor spar, and I dug 
some of it up with the pick axe. These veins were vi- 
sible also in several other parts of the mine ; they are 
imbedded in lime stone, which contains numerous pe- 
trifactions of shell fish, and animals of various species. 

Near the bottom of the mine, we entered a lofty ca- 
"vern, where the calcareous incrustations on the rocks, 
and the numerous crystals and stalactites, exhibited a 
splendid reflection of light from our candles. 

We next crawled through an aperture so narrow 
that I was obliged to lie almost down, resting my 
weight on the points of my elbows, and thus making 
my way, inch by inch, feet first, through the mud. But, 
I did not regret the attempt, for we found ourselves in 
a beautiful cave, ornamented like the one which I have 
already described, but, presenting stalactites larger, 
more numerous, and more perfect, than I had seen 
before. In one place they had extended from the roof 
to a horizontal projection in the rock, and formed an 
assemblage very much resembling the pipes of an organ, 
hence this place is called the organ. 

Nothing can be of a purer or more dazzling white, 
than were some of these stalactites and incrnstations. 
The miners think they are produced by a petrifaction 
of the water, and hence they call them z^aiericle^ from 
an evident and natural allusion to icicles. The pro- 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. lOS 

cess of their formation is precisely that of the produc. 
tion of icicles and incrustations of ice on the sides of 
mountains, except that the latter arise from an actual 
congealing of the water by cold ; the former from a 
gradual deposition of the lime which water, under cer- 
tain circumstances, had the power to dissolve. As it 
filters through the rocks, the lime is gradually deposi- 
ted in a crystalline form, and generates stalactites if it 
fall perpendicularly, or incrustations when it runs 
down an inclined plain, or adheres to a perpendicular 
one. 

My guides pointed out the mouth of a cavern into 
which they throw all their rubbish ; they said they had 
traced it up more than a mile without finding its ter- 
mination. 

I had now surveyed all the subterranean wonders 
of the Peak, and reached in safety the surface of the 
ground. 

On returning, I found at the inn my late compa- 
nions, who had relented at the mouth of the mine. 
They seemed to have taken a strong interest in my ad- 
venture, and to feel some regret, and a little mortifica- 
tion, that they had so readily relinquished the under- 
taking. 

A little after five I proceeded for Buxton. Ascend- 
ing the Winnetts, I observed a heavy cart, deeply la- 
den, descending the hill. The driver had taken off 
three of his horses, which are usually harnessed here, 
as in Pennsylvania, in a single row, and not abreast, 
and had fastened them in the same order behind the 
cart. The animals, it seems, are trained to know, that 
in this situation they must hang back, with all their 



106 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

power, and thus relieve the horse in the fills, from a 
weight which it v/ould be impossible for him to sustain. 

THE EBBING AND FLOAVING WELL, 

reckoned among the curiosities of Derbyshire, lay near 
the road, and I stopped, half an hour, to see it. When 
I first alighted, it was boiling violently with much 
noise ; within one minute it began to subside, and, at 
the end of twelve minutes, it had fallen four or five 
inches, and was perfectly quiet with a smooth surface. 

At this moment a gentleman on horseback, with a 
servant, was riding by, and, checking his horse, looked 
at me with an air of curiosity, and inquired whether 
this was the famous tide's-well ? I answered, that I 
believed it to be so. He dismounted and came to me, 
and, in the course of three minutes, the water began 
again to boil, and rise, and very soon regained the same 
height, and all the violence of motion which I had at 
first observed. When we left it, the water was again 
subsiding. The phenomena of this well are most re- 
markable in damp and rainy weather, such as had pre- 
vailed for a day or two. 

I had the pleasure of this gentleman's company 
about six miles, in which distance we passed through 
the stone village of Chapel on Frith. The countrj' on 
this road was much pleasanter than that by which I 
went to Castleton. 

Soon after passisig this village we came to a hill, 
where there were lime pits on the summit, and a canal 
leading to Manchester at the bottom. The lime goes 
to this town to market, and the coal, which is neces- 
sary for burning it into quick lime, is brought to the 
foot of the hill on the canal. To effect the exchange 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 107 

Ihey had a very ingenious contrivance. There was a 
double road from the lime pits on the top, to the canal 
at the bottom of the hill. By means of ropes, fastened 
to machinery at the summit, one row of carts, loaded 
with quick lime, Mas made to descend, and, at the same 
time, to draw up another row of carts, moving in a 
way parallel to the first, and loaded with coal. The 
coal is discharged at the top of the hill, and the lime 
at the bottom, and then the coal cart takes a load of 
lime, and the lime cart a load of coal. The former 
being made the heavier, now descends, and the latter 
rises, and thus they move up and down the hill, per- 
forming an important service without any other aid 
than the power of gravity. 

My companion proved to be a pleasant man, and 
contributed not a little to the pleasure of my ride. He 
discovered a strong disposition to know something of 
my history, and I was disposed to gratify a kind of 
curiosity which I found was not peculiar to New-Eng- 
land. Nor had I any reason to regret that I had not 
adhered to that cautious reserve, which is more safe 
than amiable, and which, although it may sometimes 
secure one from imposition, may also prevent him from 
forming those transient intimacies, which contribute 
not a little to the enjoyment and instruction of a tra- 
veller. I frankly gave my companion all the informa- 
tion which he appeared to desire, and in return he gave 
me his name and residence, and invited me to share (he 
hospitality of his house in Nottinghamshire, when I 
should visit those parts. 

He seemed much astonished that an American should 
take so much pains to visit curiosities which he had 
passed by, for more than thirty years, without once 



108 A JOURNAL OF TRATELS IN 

looking at them, and now wisely determined that he 
would go and see them. 

He was a warm friend to the American revolution, 
and a great admirer of Washington. 

Our roads soon parted, we shook hands, and I 
reached Buxton soon after nine o'clock at night. 



No. VIII.— BUXTON TO LEICESTER. 



Buxton Situation. ...Climate Its mineral waters Ride to 

Ashburn.-.Singular hills....Sudden contrast Leicestershire 

....Great beauty of the country.. .Curiosity.... Leicester....Bos- 
wortli fields... .Richard HI... Singular use made of his coffin. 



BUXTON. 

May 17. — Buxton is a neat village, situated in a 
valley in the edge of Derbyshire. It is surrounded by 
lofty hills and mountains, in some of which are nume- 
rous lime pits. It was a Roman station, and its cele- 
brated warm springs are believed to have been known 
to the Romans. It was one of the residences of Mary 
queen of Scots, during her long imprisonment in Eng- 
land. 

The country in which Buxton lies is dreary and bar- 
ren, except the valleys, which are verdant and beauti- 
ful, and generally have a stream of water running 
through them. The climate here is rainy and tempes- 
tuous, yet Buxton is much resorted to for health by 
invalids, and still more for amusement by the nobility 
and gentry, many of whom spend the summer at this 
and other watering places. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 109 

For their accommodation, the Duke of Devonshire 
has erected a magnificent crescent of stone. It is a 
Tery extensive range of houses and shops, with a grand 
colonnade and piazza extending along the front, so as 
to form but one whole, which strikes the eye of a tra- 
veller very forcibly, when descending from the neigh- 
bouring hills. In the crescent is every accommodation 
which real suffering can need, or the caprice of idle- 
ness, health, and affluence demand. There is also a 
vast appendage of stables, which forms another cres- 
cent scarcely less magnificent than the first. 

The water hardly deserves to be ranked among mi- 
neral springs, because its impregnation is extremely 
wealf. A gallon of it does not contain more than 15 
grains of saline matter, most of which is common lime 
stone ; there is also a small portion of plaister of paris, 
and a still smaller of marine salt. It contains no ga- 
seous matter except one part in sixty-four of azot. Its 
solid contents are therefore such as are commonly found 
in spring water, and I could not perceive any thing pe- 
culiar in its taste. Yet this water is used with great 
benefit by invalids, especially by rheumatic, dyspeptic, 
and nephritic patients, and it is probable that its effi- 
cacy is derived principally from the temperature, at 
least in cases of external application ; for the vv^ater is 
invariably at the temperature of 81° or 82°, and as 
there is a copious supply, fine baths may be constantly 
had at Buxton. They are both private and public ; 
some of the latter are magnificent and sufficiently large 
to swim in. Tke Buxton waters can hardly be deno- 
minated hot ; they are rather tepid. 

Dr. Saunders (Treatise on mineral vvaters, p. 141,) 
remarks : "As the temperature of 82° is several dc- 
gtees below that of the human body there h a slight 
VOL. I. 10 



110 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS ITT 

shock of cold felt on the first immersion into this bathj, 
but this is almost immediatelj succeeded by a highly 
soothing and pleasurable glow over the whole body, 
which persons often express to be as if the skin was 
anointed with warm ©ream, and is entirely the efTect 
of temperature combined with that of simple mois- 
ture." 

He informs us also that the term Buxton Bath, has 
now become generic, being used as a general expres- 
sion for tepid baths. 

At nine o'clock in the morning^ I resumed my seat 
in the stage, and proceeded to Ashborn, where our 
party dined. Our route, for the first twelve miles, 
lay through a country as dreary and barren as fohave 
ever beheld. Bleak sterile hills, destit\ite of verdure, 
and, excepting a few recent plantations, without a 
tr^e or a shrnb, attended us continually. Many of 
these hills v^ere lofty, and might properly be denomi- 
nated mountains. They were extensively covered with 
a dark brown furze, which gave them an appearance as 
desolate as if they had been swept by the blasts of a 
polar winter, and arid as though they had been scorch- 
ed by the lightning of heaven. But just before we 
reached Ashborn, the scene was completely reversed. 
As we descended into the charming vale through which 
flows the river Dove, on whose banks Ashborn stands, 
we were gratified with an exhibition of extensive mea- 
dows, and ail the beauty, which clear streams, green 
grass, and exuberant foliage, could bestow. 

The same scenery continued to Desby, which is 33 
n>iles from Buxton. The town was full of soldiers, 
and not a bed could be procured at the public-houses. 
I was therefore compelled to abandon the design which 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. Ill 

I had entertained of remaining there a day or two, and 
immediately proceeded in the stage for Leicester. 

Derby is a handsome although ancient town, con- 
taining about 10,000 inhabitants. It is celebrated for 
its extensive silk mills. 

The Scotch rebels in 1745 made no farther progress 
south than this place. The celebrated Dr. Darwin re- 
sided here. 

Our route to Leicester was through a most enchant- 
ing country. The distance from Derby is 28 miles, 
and the scenery in every part of the way was beautiful 
in the extreme. The -surface was generally level, 
adorned with frequent groves, neat hedge rows, and 
Terdure so deep and rich, that it resembled rather green 
velvet than grass. The fruit trees were in many in- 
stances in blossom, and gave an air of gaiety to the 
villages and towns through which we passed. Among 
the chief of these were Loughborough and Mount 
Sorrel. 

Leicestershire is a county of great agricultural 
wealth, and celebrated for au excellent breed of sheep ; 
they are not of the largest species, but very fat, with 
abundant fleeces of fine wool. 

In the course of this day's ride I was directly inter- 
rogated concerning my name and personal history. 

LEICESTER. 
Mai/ 18. — I rose at 6 o'clock this morning, and 
having some little time to spare, before the setting out 
of the coach, I employed a part of it in walking around 
the streets of Leicester. I cannot, however, pretend, 
from such very limited observations, to give an account 
of the town. Most of those streets through which I 



112 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

passed were narrow, but there was a tolerable number 
of good buildings. I regret that I had not time to see 
the remains of an ancient and very extensive castle, 
formerly belonging to the great Duke of Lancaster, 
and it would have given me still greater pleasure to 
have visited Bosworth Fields, near this town, where 
you will remember that Henry VII. then Earl of Rich- 
mond, gained the crown of England, and Richard III, 
lost it with his life. There are few events in English 
history which excite a more general interest ; the stake 
was a kingdom, — the characters of the combatants 
were splendid, — and that of Richard, especially, was 
surrounded with a kind of atrocious and sanguinary 
greatness. Besides, the genius of Shakespeare has add- 
ded a fascination to the subject, which makes us ima- 
gine that we listen to the groans which disturbed the 
slumbers of the royal murderer, on the night before 
the fatal contest, and causes us to hear him exclaim, 
amidst the din of battle, — my kingdom for a horse ! 
After one has been delighted with a fine historical dra- 
ma or poem, he is always prone to conceive of the facts 
as the poet and not as the historian has related them. 
Who has not substituted the paradise which Milton has 
painted, instead of the strong but incomplete sketch of 
the scriptures; and who does not conceive of Richard 
as Shakespeare and not as Hume has drawn him ? 

Leicester contains about 16,000 inhabitants; — it 
sends two members to Parliament, and is the capital of 
Leicestershire. Cardinal Wolsey died here, and here 
Richard III. was buried. At the beginning of the last 
century his coffin was converted into a trough for hor- 
ses to drink out of, and was actually used for that 
purpose at a public-house in this town. 



ENGLAND) HOLLANDj AND SCOTLAND. 113 

T^o. IX.—LEICESTER TO BIRMINGHAM. 

Ride to Coventry....Ladies and band-boxes.. ..Coventry election 

....Crowd ....Confusion Uproar Drunkenness....Ludicrous 

scene... .Violence of English elections. 

RIDE TO COVENTRY. 

At 7 o'clock A. M. I stepped into the coach for Bir- 
mingham. It was a small vehicle, capable of carryiog 
four passengers inside with convenience, and six with 
difficulty. Although I had a priority of claim, I found 
five ladies already seated in the coach, and some of 
them were such beauties as Addison says are estimated 
at Haarlem by weight. Four of them carried huge 
band-boxes in their laps, and the fifth an infant. In 
60 small a carriage, and under such circumstances, you 
cannot but suppose that an additional one must have 
occasioned some inconvenience. I was obliged to sit 
sidewise, with one arm out of the coach, and I found 
my companions so little disposed for conversation, and 
the situation so uncomfortable, that, before we had 
travelled a mile, I relinquished ray seat in favour of 
the ladies, and mounted the roof of the coach. 

Three or four miles from Leicester we passed Bos- 
worth Fields at some distance; the coachman poirjted. 
them out to mc. We passed through Nuneaton, a 
considerable town, a.nd as we approached Coventry, 
the country became luxuriantly beautiful. We saw 
frequent coal mines, and while they changed horses we 
looked at the mouth of one. The access was down a 
10* 



114 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS I^f 

pit, precisely like a well, only much wider ; througli 
this opening the coal is dr^n up by means of ma- 
chinery, and the people and implements are let down, 

COVENTRY ELECTION. 

When we arrived at Coventry, we found the street 
leading to the inn where we were to dine, so obstruct- 
ed by crowds of people, that we were compelled to stop 
the coach at a considerable distance from the house, 
and to make our way as well as we could, with no 
small inconvenience, and some hazard of being press- 
ed more than was perfectly agreeable. The greatest 
crowd was immediately before our door, and we learn- 
ed that it was occasioned by a contested election, at 
that moment held, for a member of Parliament for Co* 
ventry. I had heard much of English elections, and 
thought myself very fortunate in having an opportunity 
to see the bustle of such an occasion. But I am quite 
satisfied with one exhibition of the kind, nor do I wish 
ever to behold another. For, never before did I wit- 
ness such a scene of drunkenness, uproar and riot. 
The genius of M'Fingal or of Hudibras alone could 
convey to you an ader^uate idea of a state of things, 
in which was most forcibly exhibited the majesty of 
the sovereign people exercising the right of unbiassed 
suffrage. 

The candidates were a Mr. Mills of Coventry and a> 
Mr. Parry of London. The friends of Mr. Parry al- 
leged that Mr. Mills was a friend to the rich ; — that 
he was in favour of enclosing the common land, which 
would injure the poor; and in short, that he was an 
aristocrat, and did not care for the people. In favour 
of Mr. Parry they said that he was the people'p/r«;'e?7fA 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 115 

It seems that the voters at English elections do not 
necessarily reside on the spot ; many live in remote 
towns, and when the period of the election arrives they 
are transported to the place by the candidates whose 
cause they espouse, and are maintained by them free of 
expense during the contest, which frequently lasts two 
or three weeks. It is stated, in extenuation of this 
practice, that some of the electors, and especially me- 
chanics and labourers, cannot afford to leave their 
homes and pursuits, to travel to a distant county, and 
remain at their own charge during a contested election^ 
and that therefore it is but reasonable that the candi- 
dates should sustain this expense. However plausible 
this statement may appear, it is certain that it is onlj 
an apology for an indirect species of bribery, not less 
effectual than the direct giving of money. For, under 
the pretence of maintaining their voters, the candidates 
buy them with wine, whiskey and dinners, for he is al- 
ways the best patriot who gives the people the most 
good things. 

In this instance the adherents of the two rival can- 
didates were distinguished by papers on their hats, 
having the names of the men whom they supported 
written upon them. The poll was held in a building, 
which appeared to be the market, and the respective 
parties were striving each to prevent the other from 
getting up to the poll to give in their votes. For this 
purpose, they did not hesitate to use every degree of 
violence short of blows. The contest was principally 
in pushing ; the two contending parties were arrayed 
in opposition, like two armies, and when they came up 
to the poll, the two fronts met, and In every instance 
a violent contest ensued ; hands to handsj face to face, 



il6 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

sJioulder to shoulder, aud when one party gave way, 
the other would press tumultuously on, till all fell in 
a promiscuous heap. Then the victorious party, ris- 
ing from off their fallen antagonists, would shout^ 
Tociferating huzzas, throwing their hats into the air, 
and making it ring with Mills I Mills 1 or Parry ! 
Parry ! according as one or the other prevailed. In 
these contests, which appeared to be, in the main, 
rather good natured, individuals occasionally kindled 
into rage, and bloody noses, and torn coats and shirts 
■were usually the consequence. I saw one man who 
had lost half his coat and half his shirt, and his bleed- 
ing back and face were marked with the talons of some 
rival voter. Although it was a lamentable picture of 
human nature, one could not but consider it as a well 
acted farce, and notwithstanding the regret which one 
educated a republican would feel at the gross abuse of 
the highest republican privilege, it was impossible to 
help laughing at so ludicrous a scene. The mob were 
all monarchs, for they were '' ail noisy and all drunk." 
The alternate victors, in the intervals of the contests^ 
sung a kind of chorus, with loud acclamations, frantic 
gestures, and convulsive expressions of joy in their 
features. The bottle went merrily round, over the 
heads of the populace, and it was amusing enough to 
see the address used to get it to the mouth. The 
crowd was so great, and such the eagerness to seize the 
bottle, that it was constantly held up, at arm's length, 
above the head, and thus it moved on in the air, one 
man wresting it from another, and sometimes half a 
dozen hands bad hold of it at once. At length some 
one more resolute than his neighbours, or less drunk 
than they, would grasp the bottle, and when^ with 



ENGLAND) HOLLANB, AND SCOTLAND. 117 

much effort, it had acquired a determinate direction 
towards a particular throat, so great was the justling 
and shoving, that the wide mouthed expectant would 
sometimes make several unsuccessful attempts to close 
liis lips upon the nozzle, and in the mean time, the 
liquor would be running in streams into his face and 
bosom. 

Even the softer sex seemed to be inspired with the 
madness of the occasion. They were to be seen stand- 
ing on heads of barrels, on the street-railings, and 
wherever else they could find situations a little more 
elevated and secure than the ground ; and occasionally 
they mixed with the crowd, joined in the strife and ac- 
clamations, and encouraged their husbands, brothers, 
and lovers by reproaches and prais&s, frowns and ap- 
plauses- according as the parties whose cause they fa- 
voured were victorious or defeated. 

The parties were very nearly equal in numbers, the 
contest had already continued several days, and it was 
thought it would cost Mr. Parry 20,000/. lie was 
present and was pointed out to me, standing among the 
crowd. I know not whether this election is to be re- 
garded as a fair sample of similar things in England, 
but I recollect to have heard a gentleman say, at Liv- 
erpool, that these contests sometimes end in blood ; 
that he had seen them, on some occasions, unpave a 
whole street, when every window and lamp would fly 
to pieces. Such violences of course endanger life, 
and if no fatal consequences ensue, it is not because 
they might not have been expected. 

They informed me at Coventry that Mr. Parry was 
supported by a powerful money interest, and might 
therefore prevail, but, that Mr. Mills was universally 



118 A JOURNAL ©F TRAVELS ^N 

preferred by the more considerate and substantial part 
of the community.* 

At 3 o'clock we proceeded through a country less 
fertile than that which we had passed in the morning ; 
the village of Meriden came in our way, but no town 
of any importance occurred before we reached Bir- 
mingham, which we did at half past 5 o'clock, P. M. 

.* I understood, after my arrival in London, that Mr. Mills 
gained the election. 



No. X.— BIRMINGHAM TO LONDON. 

Birmingham ...Watt and Bolton. ...Dr. Pnestley....Ride to OXr 
ford....Stratford on Avon... .Caution in descending' hills.... 
Woodstock ...Oxford, ..Costume of the academies... .Gran- 
deur and beauty of the town, ...Ride to London... .Henley..^, 
Beauty of the country., ..A beggar.,..Approach to the me. 
tropolis... .Equipages. ...Hounslow heath,,.. Arrival in London. 

BIRMINGHAM. 

The environs of (his town, which stands on a side 
hill, are very beautiful. As we approached, we dis- 
covered it to be a great city, apparently equal in ex» 
tent to New-York or Philadelphia. Its population is 
about 73,000. The lower town, which is the old part, 
is crowded and dirty; it is filled with work-shops and 
ware-houses. Indeed, had we not known that we had 
arrived in a great manufacturing town the fact would 
have been sufficiently announced, by the disagreeable 
fumes and mixed -effluvia which loaded the air as we 
drove into the thicket of houses, and by the fuligiuaua 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 119 

tinge which every thing had acquired. You will doubt- 
less think it strange that I have seen almost nothing of 
the manufactures of Birmingham, celebrated as it is all 
over the world for its curious productions, especially 
those formed from the various metals. The highly 
characteristic designation of Mr. Burke is not less 
trite than it is just, for Birmingham is not merely the 
toy-shop of Europe, it is almost the toy-shop of the 
world. It is needless to remind you that it is in this 
town that Watt and Bolton have, by meai.s of the 
steam engine, given a facility and expedition to manu- 
facturing industry, which was totally unknown before. 
J had however no hopes of seeing their establishment, 
as they deny admittance to all, without distinction. It 
is said that the Duke of Norfolk lately made a journey 
from London, on purpose to see these works, but was 
denied admittarice. It was however my plan to have 
stayed at Birmingham several days, but circumstances, 
which it is unnecessary to mention here, rendered it 
indispensable that I should proceed immediately to 
London.' From personal observation, I know there- 
fore nothing more of Birmingham than what could be 
learned in somewhat less than two hours, which were 
spent principally in walking about the streets. The 
higher part of the town contains many new streets, in 
which the buildings are regular and handsome. In the 
vicinity of the city, they pointed out to me the ruins 
of a country seat, destroyed by the mob which burnt 
Dr. Priestley's house. Such Vandalism is disgrace- 
ful to the age, and has left a serious stain on Birming- 
ham. 

After tea, finding a stage conch just setting cut for 
Oxford, I took my seat in (ha% at 7 o'clock in the 
eveninjT. 



120 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

The night was dark and inclement, but four of us 
rode very comfortably inside, while our fellow-travel- 
lers, on the roof, (among whom were several females,) 
were drenched by a cold rain. It was a subject of se- 
rious regret that I was compelled to go through any 
part of England in the dark. Of the country through 
which I thus passed, without seeing it, I shall say little 
more than that we cupped in the town of Stratford on 
Avon, memorable as having been the birth place of 
Shakspear^e. They pointed out the cluster of houses, 
in one of which he was born. It was midnight when 
we arrived in the town ; except at the inn, the inhabi- 
tants were all asleep, and therefore I could not visit 
Shakspeare's monument, which is still standing in the 
church. 

We passed through m.any towns and villages, and 
over a country in some places very hilly. They took 
the wise precaution of chaining a wheel at the top of 
every steep hill, a practice which is common in Eng- 
land, and which is rendered doubly necessary by the 
great weight of people and luggage which an English 
stage coach carries on its.^oof. I have been one of a 
party of eighteen, tvveife of whom were on the top. 

Mci^ 19.-^Ths day had dawned when we drove into 
Woodstock, and, through the grey of the morning, 
we glanced at the magnificent palace of the great 
Duke of Marlborough, erected for hira by the nation, 
to commemorate the most splendid of his victories, 
and distinguished by the triumphant appellation of 
Blenheim Palace. 

We feel strongly the vanity of military glory, when 
we remember that this great man now lies as low as 
the thousands who died on the fields of Blenheim 1 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 121 

Napoleon, in his turn, will follow those whom he 
slew at Marengo and Lodi, and his course, like the 
path of a meteor, luminous for a while, will fade on 
the eye, and ultimately be obscured by the oblivion of 
ages. 

Oxford is sixty-three miles from Birmingham. We 
arrived in the former town a little after four o*clock in 
the morning, and I found a comfortable bed at the 
Angel inn. 

OXFORD 

The same causes which prevented me from remain- 
ing some time at Birmingham, will render my stay in 
Oxford so short, that I shall disappoint the reasonable 
expectations which you will form of receiving informa- 
tion concerning it. I however regret the circumstance 
the less, because I have it in view to visit Oxford 
again, when I am more at leisure.* 

The fatigue of travelling through the night prevent- 
ed my rising in season for the morning service ; but, in 
the afternoon, I went to the church of St. Mary, an 
ancient Gothic structure, belonging to Queen's College. 

The officers and students of this college attended, 
and we had the best sermon which I have heard iii 
England. I suppose the gentleman who delivered it 
was the Professor of Theology. His discourse was, 
in sentiment, correct, and in style manly, perspicuous, 
and elegant. 

The officers and students all wear a loose black 
gown over their dress, which is like that of other gen- 
tlemen. They wear a black velvet cap, fitting the 
head exactly, like the crown of the hat before the mo- 

• This purpose was frustrated by subsequent events. 

VOL. I» 11 



i22 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

dern high hats came into fashion. This cap is destitute' 
of a rim or border, of any kind, either for ornament 
or use, and thus the face afideyes are completely ex- 
posed to the weather. On the very pinnacle of the 
cap is fixed a square board, covered also with black ; 
it looks as a thin book would do, if laid on the crown 
of the head. From the middle of this, a tassel falls 
over on one side of the head. This is usually black, 
but, in the case of noblemen, it is of gold, and there are 
other variations in the "singular costume which I have 
described, intended to designate academic as well as ci- 
vil rank. The effect of the whole is somewhat ludicrous, 
at the same time that it is grave and even solemn. 
When the members of the university are out of Ox- 
ford, they throw off this garb, and appear like other 
men. 

At the inn where I lodged, I accidentally met Mr, 

D . We had been at Yale College together, 

some years ago, and neither of us, I believe, would 
have thought of our meeting at Oxford. We of course 
became associates 5 for it was an interesting discovery 
to find an old acquaintance where one supposed him- 
self surrounded only by strangers, and we agreed id 
travel to London together. 

Towards evening we made, in part, the circuit of 
Oxford and its environs, and viewed the exterior of 
most of the academic buildings, and the interior of 
some. The buildings are generally in the form of a 
hollow square ; the included space forms a court which 
is commonly verdant and beautiful. 

In one of the chapels we saw a curious production 
of art. It was a picture of a man, made by tracing 
the lines on a board with a hot poker. We were in- 
formed that one of the fellows, by amusing himself 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. J^3 

M'ith burning a board with this instrument, gradually 
passed to attempting rude delineations, and ultimately 
acquired so much skill, as to leave this monument of 
his singular taste behind him ; it is by no means defi- 
cient in elegance and effect. 

Oxford is a place of great grandeur and beauty. It 
is situated in the midst of a country whose verdure is 
very rich and luxuriant. It stands at the intersection 
of the Thames and Cherwell, and these rivers and the 
canals are bordered by gravel walks, and rows of an- 
cient, lofty, and venerable trees ; these are so numer- 
ous in the town, that the buildings are often over- 
shadowed by them, and appear as if in a forest. The 
whole town has an unrivalled air of magnificence and 
dignity. No place ever impressed me with such feel- 
ings of admiration and awe, and I presume it is with- 
out a parallel in the world. Instead of the narrow and 
dirty lanes of trading towns, and the confused noise 
of commerce, there are spacious and quiet streets, with 
line houses of stone, built in a very good taste. But 
what produces the principal effect is the great number 
of academic buildings, in a style of much grandeur, 
and rendered venerable by strong marks of antiquity. 
The effect is very much heightened by the frequent 
avenues of lofty forest-trees, and by the historical asso- 
ciations natwally connected with a university which 
claims Alfred (he Great for its founder. The most 
considerable of the colleges here is that of Christ 
Church, founded by Cardinal Wolsey ; and the most 
e^^tensive and -beautiful walk is in the rear of this. 

Oxford contains nearly 12,000 inhabitants. It was 
distinguished for its strong partiality to Charles I. who 
held his court here during the whole of the civil wars. 
It is built principally on two streets, which cross each 



124 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

other at right angles, and the high street is considered 
as one of the finest in Europe. It is terminated by a 
beautiful bridge. The circumference of Oxford is 
said to be three miles, and its form circular. My tra- 
Telling book says that there are thirteen parish chur- 
ches, but I did not see them all. The number of colleges 
aud other similar institutions is twenty-five. They in- 
formed me that the number of students in the univer- 
sity was about 1200, and that Christ Church college 
has more than any other. There is a fashion in these 
things, and the nobility and men of fortune are found 
principally at Christ Church. 

May 20,— -At seven o^clock in the morning Mr. 

D and I proceeded on the roof of the coach 

for London. We passed through several inconsidera- 
ble places — Nunchani, Shillingford, Bensington, Net- 
tlebedi and Bis, and stopped to change horses at Hen, 
ley, a considerable town on the banks of the Thames, 
The country from Oxford to this place did not appear 
to be naturally very fertile, but it is highly cultivated, 
and presents much picturesque scenery of hills and 
dales, rivers and extensive tracts of wood. We were 
surprised at seeing so much wood in so old a country. 
It appeared however to be principally of modern plant- 
ing. Beds of chalk were very common along the road ; 
there is much flint imbedded in it, in fantastic nodules ; 
—with the latter they repair the roads — it is broken 
into small pieces, for this purpose, and covered with 
gravel. 

At Henley we crossed the Thames. The country is 
here extremely beautiful — the banks of the river were 
highly verdant ; — a dense wood, belonging to a coun- 
try seat of Lord Malmsbury, formed a fine green slope 
on the declivity of a hill, which rose gradually from 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 125 

the river, and ifs shades were enlivened by the note^ 
of the nightingale, and other birds of song, which we 
heard although we could not see them. Every thing 
ar; and us was arrayed in the beauty of spring, and 
amidst the gaiety of flowers and verdure, it was easy 
to see that Thompson painted from nature in. the first 
of his delightful poems on the seasons. As we slowly 
ascended the hill, a blind boy, led by a little girl with 
a string, pla)^ed the violin by the side of the coach. 
It was a decent mode of asking charity, which he ob- 
tained more readily this way than he would have done 
by begging. 

We travelled through a beautiful country, and pas- 
sed the villages of Hurley, Maidenhead, Salthill, and 
Slough, leaving on our right the lofty turrets of Wind- 
sor Castle. From Slough onward, the crowd of post 
<:haises, coaches and six, and splendid equipages, of 
every description, indicated our approach to the capi- 
tal. There was, on this occasion, as we were inform- 
ed, a more than ordinary crowd, because the Queen 
gave, that night, a splendid ball at Windsor, and the 
nobility and gentry were flocking to the royal presence, 
There is a carriage recently introduced into England 
called the barouche ; it is a kind of elliptical coach, 
of which the top falls on springs like a calash, and 
leaves the inside entirely open for air and prospect. 
W^e saw ladies half reclining in such carriages, and 
reading elegant volumes, while the slow motion, over 
very smooth roads, seemed to interrupt them as little 
AS the rattling of our stage coach or the cracking of 
the coachman's whip as we hurried by. 

From Slough we went to Colnbrook, and thenco 
over the dreary tract of Hounslow heath, a mere de- 
sert, of five miles extent, covered with black furze. It 
11 * 



126 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

is almost destitute of cultivation and of habitations ;-^ 
only a few sheep are to be seen, here and there, graz- 
ing upon it, and, but for the constant travelling and 
the absence of trees, it might be tal^en for a part of 
an American wild. Yet the whole of it is within ten 
miles of the capital. We soon began to perceive a 
cloud of smoke hanging over London, and designating 
its situation. We arrived at Brentford, a large town, 
seven miles from London, and thence the houses form- 
ed almost a continued row, so that one might have sup- 
posed himself riding through a street of the city. 

Hyde Park, with its extended fields, fine forest 
trees, and promiscuous assemblage of pedestrians, 
coaches and horsemen, soon came into view on our 
left ; — we whirled rapidly by it, and, at Hyde Park 
corner, abruptly entered the Metropolis of the com- 
mercial world. We drove through Piccadilly, and 
were instantly involved in the noise and tumult of Lon- 
don, We were obliged to hold fast as we were driven 
furiously over rough pavements, while the clattering 
of the wheels, the sounding of the coachman's horn, 
and the sharp reverberations of his whip, had there 
been no other noises, would have drowned conversa- 
tion, and left us to admire and wonder in silence, at 
the splendor of the English capital. I had long been 
anticipating the emotions which I should experience on 
entering London. But, I was not a little disappoint- 
ed at finding myself perfectly unmoved, and was dis- 
posed to conclude that one great city is very much like 
another, and does not suddenly impress a stranger with 
an idea of its magnitude, since only a small portion can 
be seen at once. We were driven through the Strand, 
Temple Bar, which is one of the ancient gates of the 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 127 

city, and Fleet-street. The coach stopped at the Bell 
Savage on Ludgate Hill. The coachman, by a short 
turn, drove us, with astonishing swiftness, through a 
narrow opening, where the least deviation would have 
overturned the coach, and we were set down in a large 
back yard, full of coaches, horses, servants, and bag- 
gage. 



No. XI.— LONDON. 

The Bell Savage Inn... .St. Paul's. ..Take Lodgings. ..Manner of 

living Boavding-houses almost unknown Expense and 

convenience of lodgings... London intricate.. ..Eating liouses 
....Letters.. ..The Monument of London....Opening of the newr 
dock.... Ceremonies on the occasion. 

May 20. — To have arrived thus happily in London, 
after almost two months of travelling, by sea and land, 
was certainly a subject of joy and gratitude. It was 5 
o'clock P. M. when we stepped down from the coach, 
and took lodgings for the night at the Bell Savage, 
This was a public-house a century ago, and gave occa- 
sion for the wit of Addison io investigate the deriva- 
tion of its name. lie informs us that it alludes to a 
French story of a very beautiful woman found in a 
wilderness, whence the romance, built upon this inci- 
dent, is entitled La Belle Sauvage. This was proba- 
bly at first Ihe sign of the house, but the allusion has 
been so long forgotten tha* even the orthography is 
changed, and we find it no longer La Belle Sauvage^ 
but the Bell Savage. 



128 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

After dinner we went into St. Paul's Church, which 
MVVLS within a few rods of our lodgings. It is a sub- 
lime building, and when I looked up through its stu- 
pendous dome, I saw an exhibition of architectural 
grandeur, which I had never witnessed before. 

I shall now, my dear brother, cease for some months 
to be a traveller, and shall become a settled resident 
in London. Of this city of cities, you will not expect 
me to attempt any thing like a regular and full ac- 
count. As volumes would not suffice for the purpose, 
it would be arrogance in me to suppose that a resi- 
dence of a few months can qualify me for the task, 
even if entirely at leisure for observation. And when 
the daily calls of business, with engagements of cere- 
mony and civility, are taken into the account, it will 
become me still more to be modest in drawing general 
conclusions concerning so vast a city as London. But, 
it may perhaps be still in my power to impart some in- 
formation which will be interesting to you, since one 
cannot well mistake concerning facts passing daily be- 
fore him, and needing only the faithful use of his sen*. 
ses. Daring my residence in London, I shall there- 
fore endeavour to give such notices of the objects 
which occur in ray daily walks, as shall exhibit to you 
the most striking outlines of the picture, although it is 
probable that I shall rarely be able to add all the co- 
louring and shades necessary to fill it up completely. 

May1\. — Not being engaged in commercial busi- 
ness, [ took lodgings near Cavendish Square, in a part 
of Westminster, which is at once airy, clean, and 
quiet. The recommendation of a friend in New York, 
who had resided in thesa.'.e house, gaveme entire con- 
lijience in the people, and a letter of introduction from 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 129 

him, (for he had been a great favourite there) procured 
me all the kindness and sedulous attention which I 
could have wished. 

The method in which men without families usually- 
live in London is very ditferent from that which pre- 
Tails in our great towns. Here, boarding-houses are 
unknown, or, if known, are hardly reputable places 
of residence. Single men therefore reside in lodgings, 
that is, they have furnished apartments in private hou- 
ses, commonly a bed chamber and a parlour ; some- 
times they have a third room for a dressing chamber; 
but this is an unnecessary appendage. The apartments 
will cost from half a guinea to three or four guineas a 
week, according as they are more or less splendid, 
or are situated in a fashionable or obscure part of the 
towD, and their location is a matter of no small impor- 
tance to the reception of a stranger. The Londoners 
will not call on a man 'who resides in some dirty alley 
or dark court, for the impression is at once that he is 
not genteel. In general, lodgings sufllciently comfort- 
able and respectable may be cbtaPned from one to two 
guineas a week. In them it is expected that the tenant 
will take his breakfast and tea, which is procured for 
him by the servants of the house, at his own expense, 
over and above the rent of the rooms. The articles 
are purchased for him, and he pays the neat cost with- 
out any additional bill for the labour of preparing 
the food. lie is expected to dine out, either at a cof- 
fee-house, or wherever business or engagements of 
civility may lead him. In some houses they will pre- 
pare an occasional dinner for you, when ill health or 
bad weather renders it inconvenient to go abroad, but 
this is regarded as an extra indulgence, which you can- 
not claim as a right. This method of living is much 



13d A JOURNAL OF TRAYELS IN 

more comfortable than ours, and it secures to one the 
command of his own time, with all the retirement of 
domestic life. 

Mr. D and I feeling impatient to get something 

like a general idea of the appearance of London, set out 
and walked at random. We passed street after street, 
and turned corner after corner, till our little know- 
ledge of the town, (his, gained from having once be- 
fore been here, for a short time, and mine from an in- 
spection of the map,) was exhausted, and we wandered 
on till our heads were completely turned, and we were 
lost in endless mazes of shops, houses, courts, and 
streets. When we inquired the way to Cavendish 
Square, the directions were even less intelligible than 
the town itself; no hackney coaches were to be found, 
and we at last concluded that, as even London must 
have an end, we would persist till we should find it^ 
and then endeavour to correct our reckoning, and start 
fairly for a return. We rambled on, a tedious length 
of way, till we found ourselves at Spa Fields, a water- 
ing place, with a chalybeate spring and tea gardens, 
just on the border of London. The refreshments of 
the place were rendered welcome by extreme fatigue, 
and after being, again and again, bewildered, we at 
length reached our lodgings, with the wholesome les- 
son which experience had taught us, that a stranger 
should not trust himself in London without a guide, or 
ample directions. A method which we soon found it 
necessary to adopt was to plan every excursion with 
the aid of the map, and to make out on a pocket card, 
in their proper succession, a list of the streets through 
■\vhich we wished to pass. 

May 22. — The number of eating houses in London is 
immense. You can hardly pass through a street with", 
out finding one, and in the earliest excursion which \ 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 131 

had occasion to make for a dinner, I went into the first 
house of this description which I saw. I cannot say 
that it was very cleanly or comfortable, and accord- 
ingly, a charge of only one shilling and six pence was 
made for the dinner. On returning to my lodgings, I 

was beginning to boast to Mr. D how cheaply I 

had dined, but he soon silenced me by declaring that 
he had just dined for six pence. You will not sup- 
pose that I shall be solicitous to extend my experi- 
ments very far in this way, but these facts will tend to 
evince how completely in London a man may accom- 
modate his living to his wishes or circumstances. He 
may, if he pleases, dine at the London Coffee-house for 
a guinea, or he may descend into a cellar and dine for 
three pence. 

May 23. — The business of delivering my letters of 
introduction, and of imposing upon strangers an obli- 
gation to be civil to me, was what I now found it in- 
dispensable to set seriously about. From the unplea- 
sant nature of the duty I wished to defer it to the la- 
test moment, and, still more, that by becoming a little 
acquainted with the streets, I might be enabled to take 
my new friends, as much as possible, by house rows ; 
so that, in delivering letters to people scattered all over 
this immense town, I n>ight not cross my track more 
frequently than was necessary. The ceremonies con- 
nected with introduction in England ace precisely the 
same with ours. Most of those to whom I h^d letters 
were not at home. This circumstance w ith the aid of a 
coach enabled me to despatch the business within a 
moderate period ; cards were left with most of the let- 
ters, and as this is the legal service which the customs 
df society have every where established, 1 have nothing 
more to do than to wait the result. 



132 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

THE MONUMENT, 

erected by Sir Christopher Wren, under the direction 
of Cba; les II. to commemorate the great fire in 1666, 
comirig in my way, I ascended to the iron gallery near 
the top. This monument is a fluted column of the Do- 
ric order ; its diameter at the base is 15 feet, and its 
height 202 feet. The ascent is by 345 stone steps 
winding spirally along the inside. Such constant turn- 
ing and turning, for such a length of way, makes ones 
brains giddy, and his knees totter beneath him. 

The tubular form of the monument in which there 
are openings to admit light and air, wonderfully in- 
creases the noise of the city and of London bridge, and 
the roaring of the wind, so that I was almost deafened 
with the incessant and confused din of wheels and 
cries. 

The English consider this monument as the most 
beautiful pillar in the world. Unfortunately it stands 
in an obscure situation on rather low ground, near the 
bank of the river and within 200 yards of London 
bridge. On an eminence it would be a most com- 
manding object. But its situation is nevertheless pro- 
per, as it stands on the spot where the fire broke out 
which destroyed a great part (ff London. 

On the pedestal of the monument, there is a Latin. 
inscription, giving an account of the event and of the 
manner in which the expense of erecting the pillar was 
defrayed. All this is very well, but no one will be- 
lieve the charge which is added, that the fire was kin- 
dled by the Roman Catholics. 

The day being clear, I enjoyed from the iron gallery 
near the top of the monument, a fine view of London 
and its environs. It is indeed a vast city ; it is a world. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 133 

Southwark alone would make a great figure if placed 
by itself, but, connected with London, it is only the 
hem of the garment. 

OPENING OF THE NEW DOCK. 

May 25. — By the politeness of Mr. W I was 

admitted this morning to see the ceremonies at the 
opening of the new dock at Wapping. Waiiping is 
quite at the lower extremity of London, contiguous to 
that part of the river where the ships lie in great num- 
bers. It is the resort of sailors, and people connected 
with navigation, and is not considered as being with- 
in the limits of gentility and fashion. We found the 
Streets narrow and dirty, and they were crowded for a 
mile or more with mea, women, and children, hanging 
about the doors and windows, with the delusive expec- 
tation of seeing the king, queen, and royal family, 
who, as fame had reported, were to attend the operfing 
of the dock. These people were more ragged, filthy, 
and apparently wretched, than any class whom I have 
ever seen. Yet they were eager to gaze on the king, 
who does not often honour the lanes of Wapping with 
his presence. 

It was the Sabbath of the Jews and this despised 
people formed a considerable part of the crowd in the 
-streets. Most of the graver men wear their beards at 
full length, and some among them, distinguished by 
full robes, were said to be Rabbis. In the rpproaches 
and ridicule every where poured upon the Jews, we ob- 
■serve a living and striking fulfilment of the prophecy of 
their great legislator, that they should become '* an 
astonishment, a proverb, and a by-word among all 
nations." 

VOL. I, 12 



134 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

The docks which we went to see are precisely like 
those at Liverpool, except that they are much larger, 
and are enclosed by a high brick wall, the object of 
which is to prevent thefts. These docks have been 
constructed at a vast expense, by removing many hun- 
dreds of houses to make way for them, and by making 
them of such extent as to contain more than 500 ships 
with room to shift places. There are within the walls 
very extensive ware-houses for the reception of goods, 
and the tobacco ware-house, which covers six acres of 
ground, is said to be the largest in the world. All this 
great accommodation for ships is so much added to the 
capacity of the river, which is always exceedingly 
crowded, and the dock has a very great superiority in 
point of safety. 

Some distance below the Wapping dock is another 
in the Isle of Dogs. The Isle of Dogs* is a marshy 
peninsula, formed by a large curve which the river 
takes in a course almost circular. They have cut 
through the neck of this peninsula, and formed the ca- 
vity into an extensive dock for the West-India trade. 
This trade therefore deposits its cargoes at a considera- 
ble distance below London, and as it usually arrives in 
fleets, much damage, which was formerly sustained 
when it lay in the bed of the river, is now avoided. 

The West-India docks cover between 50 and 60 
acres of ground ; they can receive many hundreds of 
ships, and have immense ranges of ware-houses within 
the walls. Such magnificent proofs of commercial 
prosperity the world has never seen before. 

* It is said that a royal kennel was once kept here which 
gaye orig'ln to the name. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 135 

So great was the crowd that it was a long time be- 
fore we could gain admission within the walls of the 
new dock. We had to pass through a small door 
where onIy»one or two were permitted to enter at once. 
A railed passage led to the door, and we were jostled 
and pressed for an hour amidst heat and dust before we 
could advance one hundred yards to the gate. At 
length we entered, and, soon after, the Lord Mayor and 
other distinguished personages arrived in their coaches. 
The great doors were thrown open, and the gaping 
crowd flocked around to pay their silent homage to 
office, rank, and splendor. 

The precise object of the ceremony of the day was to 
celebrate the admission of the first ships into the dock, 
which was then just finished. 

Accordingly, at the appointed moment, the water 
gates of the dock were thrown open, and two ships, 
decorated with the colours of all nations, entered, un- 
der the discharge of cannon, and with martial music 
from two bands on shore. Some thousands of specta- 
tors were looking on. The colours of France were 
hung beneath the bowsprit, and dragged along in that 
situation, half immersed in water. The American co- 
lours were suspended from the mizen top-mast stay, a 
place of about middle honour ; those of Denmark and 
Sweden were above them. 

We have been disobedient children, and our good 
mother, although seemingly reconciled, suffers, now and 
then, a shadow of displeasure to pass over her mind. 
This was the whole ceremony of the day, except the 
patriotic conclusion of dining. 



136 A JOVRNAL OF TRAVELS IN 



No. XII.— LONDON. 

The tower....OpIgin....Extent....Yeomen of .the guards.... Towec 
gutis....The Spanish armoury Queen Elizabeth.... Walking- 
stick of Henry VIII....An ancient axe used at executions,.... 
Small armoury.... Ancient cannon... Beautiful arrangement of 
small arms..- Horse armoury...,Kings on horseback...Armoiiv 
of distinguished individuals,... The regalia... Crowns, scep- 
tres, diadems, &c....Their great beauty and value.. ..AVild 
beasts of the tower. 

THE TOWER OF LONDON, 

SO famous in the history of England, is situated near, 
the Wapping dock, and naturally attracted our atten- 
tion next. Although it has been asserted that there 
was a fortification here in the time of Julius Caesar, 
the tower is generally believed to have been erected by 
William the Conqueror. He trusted so much more to 
the fears than to the affection of his subjects, that he 
built the white tower to overawe the neighbouring city. 
The structures which now go under the name of the 
tower are numerous and various. So many alterations 
and additions have been made, by successive monarchs, 
that it is probable no portion of the buildings remains 
as the conqueror left them. The white tower presents 
a number of lofty turrets, which are visible from every 
elevated point in and about London. All that now 
passes under the name of the tower comprehends a 
great number of buildings, enclosed by a wall, which 
is surrounded by a broad and deep ditch. The space 
within the wall is more than twelve acres, and the sur- 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 137 

rountling ditch has a circuit of more than 3000 feet. A 
little town is included within the precincts of the tow- 
er ; it is divided by a number of streets, and has a con- 
siderable population connected with the various public 
offices. Although the tower was originally built as a 
fortress, it would not hold out an hour against the as- 
saults of modern war. Still the appearance and parade 
of a garrison are maintained ; the gates are opened and 
shut with much formality ; — a few cannon are mount- 
ed on the walls, and a considerable military force is 
maintained within. A part of this force consists of a 
corps of men called Yeomen of the Guards, and dis- 
tinguished by a peculiar uniform, which is the same 
that was worn in the time of Henry VIII. They are 
a curious and ludicrous remnant of antiquity. " Their 
coats have large sleeves and flowing skirts, made of 
fine scarlet cloth, laced round the edges and seams 
with several rows of gold lace, and a broad laced gir- 
dle round their waists. On their backs and breasts are 
the king's silver badge, representing the thistle and 
rose, on which are the letters G. R. Their caps are 
round, flat at top, and tied about with bands of party- 
coloured ribbands." 

The principal uses to which the tower is now appro- 
priated, are for the mint, as a state piisnn, as a me- 
nage — as a deposit of some ancient records — of arras, 
and of the regalia of England. We often see, in the 
newspapers, accounts of the firing of the tower guns. 
These are not the cannon on the walls, as one \Vould 
naturally suppose. The tower itself stands on the 
northern side of the Thames, immediately on its bank. 
Without the wall and the dilch, upon the side next the 
river, is a spacious and handsome wharf or platform, 
upon which are mounted on iron carriages, {)1 jiine- 

19* 



X3S A JOURNAL OS TRAVELS IJJ 

pounders. They are almost level with the river, and, 
are fired only on state holydays, and other occasions 
of public rejoicing, especially when victories are an- 
nounced. 

With one of the yeomen of the guards for our guide, 
we entered the tower to view its principal curiosities. 
The venerable dress of this antique looking soldier 
produced a singular impression of solemnity and ridi- 
cule. We could scarcely avoid the persuasion that our 
guide was really two or three centuries old, and had mi- 
nistered in person to the great champion of jealous 
husbands, the capricious and uxorious Henry. 

The first apartment which we visited was the Spa- 
nish Armoury, for so they call the room in which are 
deposited the arms taken from the Spaniards, at the 
defeat of the famous Armada, so long the terror of 
England and the boast of Spain. These arms are kept 
in excellent order, being very bright, and so arranged 
as to exhibit them to much advantage. They appear 
perfectly sound, although the hands which wielded, 
and those which took them, are long since mouldered 
into dust. 

They consist of spears, swords, battle-axes, shields, 
pistols, and other implements of war. It was a high 
gratification to behold these authentic remnants of that 
celebrated expedition. In viewing the curiosities of 
the Tower, one has the agreeable reflection, that he 
may rely with perfect confidence upon the genuineness 
of all the antiques, without the danger of imposition, 
so common in similar cases ; for England has never 
been plundered, nor in the power of an enemy, since 
the Norman invasion, a period of more than 700 years, 
and during all that time the Tower has been under the 
immediate control of government. 



ENGLAND) HOLLANP, AND SCOTLAJTD. 139 

Ln the same room are shewn the thumb screws, and 
other instruments of torture, which the overweening 
conlidence and fanatical cruelty of the Spaniards in- 
duced them to bring. 

Their cruelty was not however without an object; 
they intended to compel the English to confess where 
their treasures were hidden, as their countryman Cor- 
tez did the heroic Montezuma. 

Our conductor next raised a curtain at the end of 
the room, and (ve discovered a wax figure of Queen 
Elizabeth, standing by her horse, which is held by a 
page. The furniture of the horse, and the dress and 
armour of this Amazonian queen, are the same with 
Avhich she appeared at the head of her brave army at 
Tilbury Fort, where she addressed them, in contem- 
plation of the Spanish invasion, in the year 1588. 

The horse is cream-coloured, and the queen is dres- 
sed in a white silk petticoat. Her dress seems more 
adapted to a ball-room than a camp, for it is sprinkled 
■with pearls and spangles ; the page holds her majesty's 
helmet, and the whole group, independently of histo- 
rical truth, is very well executed. 

Several other interesting articles are deposited in this 
room. There is a curious walking-stick here, which 
has four pistols so artfully concealed in one end of it, 
that, on a hasty view, no one would suspect this la- 
tent magazine. With this instrument Henry VIII. 
when a youth, used to patrol the streets of London by- 
night, in disguise, ready to engage in any broil or mad 
adventure in which he might distinguish himself; for 
Henry was not less a bully than a tyrant. In this 
manner it is said that he was engaged in occasional 
rencounters with the watch. One may laugh at this 
ridiculous spirit of low-minded bravery, but emotions 



140 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

of a very opposite nature are excited by another instru- 
ment which is kept here. I allude to the axe with 
which the beautiful and innocent Ann Boleyn was be- 
headed, to gratify the jealousy of this same Henry. 
The history of this unfortunate lady has deeply inter- 
ested posterity, and perhaps it would be difficult to 
find an example of more pathetic and moving eloquence 
than is exhibited by her in the last letter which she 
addressed to her inexorable lord, while she was confin- 
ed in the Tower under sentence of death. The axe is 
shaped very much like a large cleaver. It has been 
more than once stained with noble blood, for with it, 
the Earl of Esses, so distinguished as the object of 
Elizabeth's weak partiality and subsequent severity, 
was also beheaded. 

We next visited the small armoury, which is in ano- 
ther building, erected by William and Mary for its 
reception. In the lower room there was formerly a 
vast collection of artillery, the greater part of which 
is removed a little way down the river to Woolwich, 
now the principal deposit of the royal artillery. This 
lower room is nearly 400 feet in length, by 50 in 
width, and 24 in height. It still contains a conside- 
rable collection of artillery, and a great many tro- 
phies obtained in different wars. Among these are 
two curious pieces taken at the battle of Ramillies by 
the great Duke of Marlborough, besides a number cap- 
tured from the Spaniards, and other nations at various 
times. 

Here is one of the earliest invented cannon ; it is 
composed of bars of iron, welded together and bound 
by iron hoops. It has no carriage, but was moved 
by iron rings. Such is its size that it is incredible it 
€«uld ever have been fired, unless the gunpowder of 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 14.1, 

the age in which cannon were invented was wretchedly 
bad, for a small man might crawl In at the muzzle o£ 
th^gun. Among a great variety of engines of destruc- 
tion kept in this room, are the instruments with which 
grenades are thrown, and a mortar of astonishing size, 
with one of the bombs belonging to it. 

Above stairs, in a room of nearly 350 feet in length, 
we were forcibly struck with the beautiful arrange- 
ment and dazzling brightness of 150,000 stand of arms, 
disposed in parallel rows, reaching from the floor to 
the wall. This was a sight of great beauty and splen- 
dor, for the muskets are all burnished, and in the finest 
order. It is said that there are usually about 200,000 
stand of arms in this room. 

Besides, the muskets there is usually a great collec- 
tion of swords, pistols, bayonets, and in short, almost 
every implement of death. The pistols, swords, and 
other of the smaller instruments, are fancifully arran. 
ged on the walls, so as to represent circles, church 
windows, gorgons, hydras, &c. and thus produce a 
ludicrous effect, notwithstanding the really solemn 
reflection that all this formidable apparatus is prepared 
expressly for the destruction of mankind. On the 
walls are suspended a number of muskets taken from 
the Irish rebels at the bloody battle of the Boyne, and 
a collection of Highland broad swords and other arms, 
captured with the Scotch insurgents, who followed the 
fortunes of the Pretender. The walls are decorated 
with flag's taken from the French at MaUa, and there 
is a curious Maltese cannon, 16 feet long, and covered 
with the most exuberant ornaments. 

This room undoubtedly affords one of the finest ex- 
hibitions of the kind in the world. 



142 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

The horse armoury is still more interesting than the 
room which has just been described. In it is a great 
collection of ancient armour, such as was worn during 
the reign of the Conqueror, and from his period on- 
ward, till the introduction of fire arms made a total 
change in the art of war. The first thing that strikes 
one on entering the room, is the line of English kings 
from the Conqueror down, all mounted on horseback, 
arrayed in complete suits of armour, equipped with 
the weapons of those times, and attended by a long 
line of common soldiers, armed and clad in the fash- 
ion of the days of knight errantry. These suits of 
armour are no models or modern imitations, but the 
Tery authentic armour of the dark ages, and, ascertain- 
ed, in many instances, to have belonged to particular 
distinguished individuals. For instance, the suit in 
which William, Prince of Orange is arrayed, is the 
same which was worn by Edward the Black Prince, at 
the glorious battle of Cressy. Edward V. has the 
crown suspended over his head. You will remember 
that he was proclaimed, but never crowned. The 
horses are very well executed, and the faces of the 
monarchs are no contemptible imitations of their 
portraits. There is the gigantic armour of John 
of Gaunt, seven feet high, with his sword and lance 
of correspondent dimensions. It seems scarcely 
credible that such a suit of armour was ever worn, 
yet one can hardly suppose that it would have been 
made unless there had been a man to wear it. Such 
a suit would have rendered " him of Gath," invul- 
nerable by the sling and pebbles of the youthful shep- 
herd. There is a suit of armour here rough from 
the hammer, as it was beaten cut for Henry VIII. when 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 143 

18 years old ; it is six feet high, but as it proved too 
small for him, it was never finished. 

This collection of ancient armour is very interest. 
ing, and although it was extremely gratifying to my 
curiosity, I felt it to be still more important as illus- 
trating history. One is thus enabled to form a very 
perfect idea of the appearance of European armies 
before the invention of gun povrder, and of the mo- 
dern art of war which has resulted from it. In some 
instances) the armour is so complete that it covers ev- 
ery inch of the person, even the feet, hands, and fare ; 
the very boots are burnished steel, and the whole maa 
exhibits a brilliant surface of the same materials. It 
is easy to conceive that in a bright day, an army thus 
equipped must have made a very splendid appearance, 
for, not the riders only, but the horses too ^were clad 
in armour. The common horses probably were not, 
and the common soldiers were covered only in part. 
This armour was very properly laid aside when the 
invention of artillery rendered it not onl} useless but 
dangerous. Possibly a musket ball might pierce the 
thinnest parts of it, although it would resist a sword 
or a spear. 

The most splendid of the suits of armour is on^ 
presented by the city of London to Charles I. when 
Prince of Wales. It is polished steel, inlaid with 
gold, formed into elegant figures. Indeed the suits of 
most of the kings are more or less ornamented with 
gold, except that of the conqueror, which is quite 
plain. The armour of Edward VI. is divided into 
compartments, in which are curiously represented por- 
tions of scripture history, commemorating battles and 
other memorable transactions. 



144 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

We visited'nest the jewel office, containing the rega» 
lia. We were fenced out, by strong iron bars, from 
this almost sacred deposit of the crowns, sceptres, di- 
adems, jewels, and plate of the ancient and modern 
kings of England ; it is contained in a strong stone 
room, which appeared to have no window^, for the re« 
galia were exhibited by candle light, by an old woman 
who presented the articles to our view without per- 
mitting us to touch them, she remaining within the 
grate and we without. This was indeed a splendid 
display, for most of the articles are of gold, in which 
are I set precious stones of the greatest beauty and 
value. The precious stones, as they are commonly seen 
in cabinets of mineralogy, and even in the shops of the 
jewellers, certainly do not equal the expectations which 
w^e haveb^en accustomed to entertain concerning them, 
and the reason is, that in such places, we usually find 
only middling or inferior specimens, and of a small 
size, because the finest specimens are too costly to be 
owned by any but nobles and princes. But here^ my 
expectations were fully answered. The imperial crown 
is kept in this room. Thp^B.^t which covers the head 
immediately is a purple velvet cap, lined with w^hite 
taffety, and turned up with rows of ermine. The 
crown itself is of gold, and richly adorned with pearls, 
emeralds, sapphires, rubies, and diamonds. It is us- 
ed at coronation ceremonies, and has been placed on 
the heads of the kings of England successively for 
more than 700 years. Beside this there are three 
other crowns, one of whieh is the crown of state, worn 
by the king in Parliament. It has an emerald of seven 
inches circumference, besides a ruby and a pearl of 
very great beauty. Aliother crown is used as a me- 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 145 

mento to the Prince of Wales ; it is placed before him 
when he is in Parliament, that he may be reminded of 
his high destiny, and at the same time may be admon- 
ished that he is still a subject. There is also Queen 
Mary's crown, diadem, globe, and sceptre. There is 
a golden globe, which is used at coronations ; the 
king holds it in his right hand before he is crowned, 
and after the crown is placed upon his head, he bears 
it in his left hand, and the sceptre in his right. This 
globe " is about 6 inches in diameter, edged with pearl 
and ornamented with precious stones. On the top is 
an amethyst of a violet colour, in height an inch and 
an half, set upon a cross of gold, and ornamented with 
diamonds, pearls, &c. The whole ball and cup is 11 
inches high." There are several sceptres — two silver 
fonts for christenings, a gold salt-cellar of state, a 
sword of mercy, iscithout a pointy which is carried be- 
fore the king at coronations, between the two swords 
of justice spiritual and temporal, and a pair of golden 
spurs and bracelets of very great antiquity, and worn 
at coronations. The golden eagle is an interesting ob- 
ject. It contains the holy oil, used to anoint the kings 
and queens of England. The bird is hollow — the oil 
. is introduced by screwing otf the neck, and the bishop, 
when he performs the ceremony of anointing, pours 
the oil out of the beak of the bird into a golden spoon. 
The staff of Edward the confessor, one of the Sax- 
on kings, is a fine remnant of antiquity. It is more 
than four and a half feet long, and nearly four inches 
in circumference. It is of beaten gold. This is used 
in the ceremony of coronation, being carried in the 
procession before the king. Besides these articles, 
there is in this office a great deal of curious antique 
VOL. I. 13 



146 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

plate, and all the crown jewels worn by the royal fam^ 
ily on coronation days. It is said that these articles 
are werth from eight to ten millions of dollars, inde- 
pendently of several particular jewels whose value is 
very great. 

It is not easy perhaps to form a correct idea of the 
appearance of the regalia, without seeing them, but 
when it is considered that the gems are set in gold, not 
of the pale colour of the trinkets of the jewellers, 
which are half copper, but of the deep yellow hue 
which is characteristic of gold, it will easily be con- 
ceived that the resplendent white of the pearl, the fine 
blue of the sapphire, the beautiful grass green of the 
emerald, the rich yellow of the topaz, the deep red pf 
the ruby, and above all the clear transparency and un- 
rivalled splendor of the diamond, must alTord an exhi- 
bition of magnificence and beauty not to be surpassed 
hy any object of nature or art. 

Since the famous attempt of Colonel Blood, to carry 
off the imperial crown in the reign of king Charles II- 
in which attempt he was frustrated by the courage and 
activity of Mr. Edwards, keeper of the regalia, a very 
old but intrepid man, I believe the crowns and other 
articles of the regalia which are occasionally wanted 
at Westminster, are carried thither privately, in a com- 
mon hackney coach, without any parade, or any cir- 
cumstance whatever which may serve to distinguish the 
transaction. The king and prince of Wales array 
themselves in the palace of Whitehall before proceed- 
ing to the parliament house, and when they return, the 
crowns are carried back to (he tower in the same pw- 
vate manner as they were brought thither, the distance 
is about three miles. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 147 

The mint, which, m ith tlie houses for its officers, 
occupies one third of the tower, we were not permitted 
to see. 

You will wonder perhaps that I have said nothing of 
the wild beasts, for, from our infancy, in America we 
hear so much of the lions confined in the tower that 
we never think of it without this association. We did 
not pass them over. They are confined in dens in an 
open yard ; an image of a lion is over the entrance, 
and a bell calls the keeper. The dens are furnished 
with strong iron gratings ; they are spacious and 
cleanly ; each den is divided into two apartments, one 
beneath, in which the animals sleep at night, and the 
other above, where they remain during the day. The 
beasts are generally healthy, notwithstanding their con- 
finement, and appear more active and lively than one 
would expect to find them. 

The principal animals which we saw were lions and 
lionesses, leopards, panthers, tygrrs, bears, wolves, 
hyenas, and racoons. There was a white polar bear 
of astonishing size, and untameable ferocity. AVhen 
the keeper pointed a stick at him, he flew at the bars 
with incredible fierceness, rose upon his hind legs (for 
the dens are lofty) and threw open such a mouth as 
made me shudder. He had very large and strong teeth, 
and might have embraced the body of a middle sized 
man within his fangs. A beautiful black leopardess 
attracted my particular attention. Her form was ex- 
ceedingly delicate and elegant, and although black, 
her skin was distinguished by spots of a still deeper 
black. She was from the coast of Malabar. Some 
pf the animals were very tame, particularly a fine tygec 



148 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

which had contracted an intimate friendship with a 
little dog. 

There was one old lion whose mane was full grown ; 
his appearance was truly majestic, but, it is a remarka- 
ble fact that two lionesses which were whelped in the 
tower, are the fiercest animals there, while most of the 
lions which were taken wild are quite tame. 

The most beautiful and at the same time majestic 
animal which we saw, was the royal tyger of Ben- 
gal. His skin is superbly variegated, with yellow 
and black, and his form is more graceful and majestic, 
and better adapted to strength and activity than that of 
the lion. The palm, I am sensible, has been usually, 
but I think unjustly, given to the lion. 

On leaving the tower, one of us was required to 
write his name and address in a book, for the obvious 
reason of creating a responsibility in case any thing 
should be missing. 



No. XIII.— LONDON. 

Adelphi....Distribution of prizes there. ...Alien ofRce....Causfi 
of its institution, ...Restrictions imposed on foreigners there.... 
Rudeness of some of its officers.. ..Westminster Abbey. ...Its 
solemnity and grandeur....Monuments and inscriptions.... 
Difference of the ancient and modern taste. ...Incidents.^.. 
Pidcock*s Menagerie. 

ADELPHI. 

May 28 By the attention of a friend I received a 

ticket entitling me to attend the distribution of prizes 
at the rooms of the Adelphi. At 11 o'clock I re- 



ENGLAND) HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 149 

paired to the splendid apartment, where every year 
they make a public distribution of prizes to those who 
have distinguished themselves most in the cultivation of 
the fine or useful arts, for the encouragement of which 
their society was instituted. Their rewards are not 
confined to the elegant arts of painting and sculpture, 
but are conferred equally on the inventors and im- 
provers of the most humble machines and contrivances 
for facilitating the most common operations of life. 
For instance, 1 saw a machine at the Adelphi, for en- 
abling shoemakers to stand at their work, by which 
means they may be relieved from the painful and inju- 
rious confinement in which they are now compelled to 
sit. 

I derived very little satisfaction from my visit, for 
the apartments were already so thronged w ith fashion- 
able people, and with strangers of all ranks, from the 
Russian ambassador dow n, that after struggling a long 
time in a crowded passage, and after being pushed, 
elbowed and pressed, on every side, for an hour, I 
found that I was still no nearer to entering the door 
than at first. I obtained only a very imperfect view^ 
of the fine paintings which adorned the walls, and wit- 
nessed absolutely nothing of the ceremonies of the day, 
except the pleasure of a fashionable squeeze, from 
which, although 1 had the honour of being shoved by 
lord and lady, I was sincerely glad to make my escape. 

I saw more beautiful women here than I had seeu 
any where else in England. 

ALIEN OFFICE. 

Two or three days after my arrival in London I 
went to the alien office, and presented tho credentials 
with which I was furnished at Liverpool. The alien 
13* 



150 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

office is of recent establishment, and was instituted in 
consequence of the abuse of the almost unrestrained 
liberty which foreigners had, till then, enjoyed in En- 
gland. It is said that some French emissaries were 
detected in surveying the principal ports, and in other 
machinations against the safety of the country. In 
consequence of this, foreigners of every description are 
now registered at the alien office in Crown-street, 
Westminster, and the government possesses a history 
of them from the moment of their arrival till their 
departure out of the kingdom. On making my ap- 
pearance at the office, T was reprimanded in the first 
instance, for having remained several days in London 
without reporting myself. I made such excuses how- 
ever as were accepted ; and after writing in a book 
which they gave me, my name, profession, age, place 
of nativity and residence in America, business and 
views in England, and in short, every circumstance 
which was necessary to exhibit a succinct history of 
myself, I was next directed, for ensuring my good 
behaviour, to nan^e sponsors residing in London, I 
was then dismissed on sufferance only, and directed 
to call or send within two or three days, when I was 
promised a permission to reside. Accordingly, it be- 
ing inconvenient for me to go, I despatched a servant 
at the appointed time, who was sent back empty, and 
with a message that I must come myself, I have been 
there to-day and found an angry endorsement upon 
the note which I had sent by the servant, the purport 
of which was, that 1 must not presume to send but 
must come in person. I remonstrated on the impro- 
priety of the censure, as they had themselves offered 
me the alternative, but I received only a very short an- 



•ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 151 

5wer, and indeed I might think myself very fortunate 
in obtaining so soon my written permission to reside. 
I am restricted to London and the country within thir- 
teen miles of it, for three months, with directions to 
communicate every change of lodgings, and to apply 
for a renewal of my license at the proper time, and for 
permission to travel whenever I shall go beyond ray 
prescribed limits. Such are the mildest restrictions 
imposed on every foreigner ; it must be confessed they 
are not unreasonable, but strangers are not treated 
at the alien office with that mildness and lenity which 
becomes the character of the nation. There is a set 
of inferior officers who behave with rudeness, and ex- 
ercise a sort of petty tyranny over those who are wait, 
ing for their favours. But so far as I have seenthe 
superior officers, they have conducted with dignity and 
politeness, and although they ought not to be censured 
for the rudeness of their substitutes, they ought to 
teach them better manners. 

The irritation of mind produced by the petty yexa- 
tions of the alien office, was effectually removed by a 
visit to Westminster Abbey. 

WEST.MINSTER ABBEY. 

In this venerated sanctuary of heroes, poets, orators 
and kings, I lingered nearly two hours among the mo- 
numents of princes and illustrious men whose virtues 
and talents relieve the painful gloom of history with 
here and there a luminous spot. Do not suspect me 
of affectation in this matter, when 1 declare to you, 
that I never was in so solemn a place. The combined 
effect of this master piece of Gothic arcl.itecfpr^ arnl of 
the numerous monuments of the great, the celebrated, 



l^^ A JOURNAL OV TRAVELS IN 

and the good, whose ashes moulder here, fills the mind 
with melancholy sublime and azoful, yet grateful and 
serene. Of this grand remnant of Gothic architec- 
ture, I shall not attempt a description. It would be 
useless without the aid of drawings, and there are prints 
of Westminster Abbey from which one may obtain a 
very correct idea of its external appearance, but noth- 
ing short of actual inspection can raise in the mind 
those conceptions of solemnity and grandeur, which it 
is impossible not to feel on entering this great asylum 
of the illustrious dead. I was, when a boy, strongly 
impressed, by some of the papers of Addison, with a 
wish to behold Westminster Abbey, and it was no 
small addition to my pleasure here, that I was contem- 
plating the same objects which had long before excited 
in him those reflections with which he has instructed 
and delighted mankind, Westminster Abbey contains 
too many interesting things to admit of adequate de- 
scription, within any modeiftte limits. I shall, with- 
out dojbtj visit it again, but, in the mean time, I shall 
mention a few objects. 

The monument erected to the memory of Major An- 
dre, although a small one, naturally attracted the at- 
tention of an American. I was gratified to see that 
the inscription contained no reflection on General 
Washington, notwithstanding the injurious aspersions 
which were so liberally thrown on his character at the 
time. Now, I believe, he is universally allowed to 
have done only his duty. The monument, which is of 
white marble, exhibits an historical sketch of the last 
scene of Andre's life. They are leading him to execu- 
tion, and General Washington is represented as refus- 
ing to receive a message which is at that moment 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 153 

brought him by a flag of truce from the English gene- 
ral. The countenances of the surrounding Americaa 
officers are expressive of the deepest sympathy in the 
sufferings of the gallant victim ; but it is well known 
that General Washington was not present at the exe- 
cution. 

The mob have knocked off the heads of Andre, Wash- 
ington, and another American officer, which gives the 
monument a deformed appearance. 

In the Poet's Corner, among many other monu- 
ments, are those of Gay and Ben. Jonson. I was 
much displeased with the inscriptions upon them. Oa 
the latter is : 

" O rare Ben. Jonson !" 

On the former— 

" Life is a joke, and all things show It; 
1 thought so once, but now I know it." 

Surely a sepulchral monument is the last place on 
which a witticism ought to appear. 

The chapel of King Henry VII. is a splendid piece 
of Gothic architecture. In one niche of this chapel 
lie the coffins of a Spanish and a Savoyard ambassador, 
whose bodies, after death, were seized for debt, and 
having never been redeemed by their friends, have lain 
here, unburied, ever since the reign of James II. 

For some purpose of state, the coffin of Edward I. 
was opened, about 30 years ago, and his body was 
found undecayed, retaining its form. The coffin has 
not been again deposited in the vault, but remains 
above ground. It is now however closed. The exte- 
rior coffin is of stone. 



154 A JOURNAL or TRAVELS IN 

The ancient monuments, I mean chiefly those whicli 
are at least two or three centuries^ old, generally exhi- 
bit an image of the person whom they commemorate, 
lying at full length. Many of them are clad in suits of 
armour, w^ith boots, helmets, and swords; — they lie 
on their backs, and frequently the brave knight is at- 
tended by his faithful consort, who reposes by his 
side, in all the stiff drapery of the age, rendered stiffer 
still by unskilful sculpture in marble. Nothing can 
be more precise and gravely ludicrous than such an 
exhibition, and it required all the solemnity and pa- 
thos of the inscriptions to induce a proper gravity of 
thought. Indeed, it seems that the taste was altogether 
an erroneous one. Had they placed the knights on 
their feet, all armed cap-a-pie, it would have been a re- 
presentation of life, and the impression would liave 
been a natural one. But what has the knight in ar-. 
mour to do on his back ? He cannot be supposed to be 
slain in combat, or reposing in the field of battle; still 
less in the bosom of his own castle, or evGji in the 
tomb, for knights are neither buried, nor do they go to 
bed in armour. 

The same kind of affectation is occasionally exhibited 
in the monuments of others, not distinguished by mili- 
tary appendages. There was a maid of honour who 
lost her life, in a former reign, by the puncture of a 
pin in her finger. She is represented in marble, sit- 
ting upon her own tomb, and raising her bleeding fin- 
ger, as if to excite compassion, while she is looking at 
it with a dismal expression of pain and fear. 

The modern monuments are much more dignified ; 
tjiey represent living men in natural attitudes and situ« 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. J 55 

ations, and excite interest, sympathy, and impressions 
of solemnity. 

Among these I was particularly pleased with the 
monuments of Lord Mansfield, Lord Chatham, Gene- 
ral Wolfe, and Captain Montague. From these scenes 
I returned home, meditating on the Tanity of human 
pursuits, the emptiness of sepulchral glory, and the 
poor rewards of fame, eyen when its object is enshrin- 
ed inWestminster Abbey. 

London already begins to grow to a considerable 
degree familiar, and I now find my way from one part 
of the town to another without difficulty. But the 
place is hugely overgrown. If one has conce» ns of bu- 
siness or engagements of civility of any considerable 
V extent, the probability is that he must travel eight or 
> ten miles a day, and often more. 

Maj/SO. — London is justly renowned, all the world 
over, for its charitable institutions. As I was passing 
by St. Paul's this morning I found no small difficulty 
in winding my way through an immense crowd, assem- 
bled around the church, to sec the procession of the 
charity children, who, to the number of six or seven 
thousand, assemble annually at St. Paul's, on the last 
Thursday of May. 

I met several companies of them dressed in uniform ; 
they appeared neat, healthy, and cheerful, and Avere of 
both sexes, and generally under twelve years of age. 
I regretted that Iliad no means of procuring admission 
to the religious exercises of the day. It was a thing 
which money vvould not buy, and which I had no one 
to procure for me. 

On my way back, I stopped an hour at Pidcock's 
Menage in the Strand. Tiiis is by far the most exten- 



156 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

sive and interesting collection of living animals that 1 
have ever seen. It exceeds that in the Tower. But 
it is impossible for me, my dear brother, to give any 
thing like a complete description of the various collec- 
tions and curiosities which every day brings to my no- 
tice. Vou would not have patience to read, nor have 
/ time to write such long details. All that I can do 
is to connect with the history of my life in this coun. 
try, general notices of the interesting things which I 
see, with descriptions of such particulars as strike me 
most forcibly. Even this will perhaps be tedious, but 
my apology must be, that my principal motive for 
writing this journal, was to comply with your wishes, 
and to gratify a few other friends, whose affectionate 
partiality will induce them to overlook the unavoidable 
egotism of a performance, in which the writer must 
constantly speak of himself, if he would be faithful 
to the truth. One may, it is true, like Caesar, substi- 
tute the third person for the first, but this is a mere 
parade of modesty^ and, in any man less famous than 
Csesar, would be justly considered as evincing the very 
thing which it would seek to hide. 

Among the large animals at Pidcock's, are two royal 
tigers from Bengal ; a lion and a lioness ; two large 
and fierce panthers from South America, beautifully 
spotted like the leopard ; a hunting leopard or tiger 
from the East-Indies, a small but beautiful animal 
which is used by the Asiatic princes in hunting ; it is 
said that they carry them on the pommel of the saddle, 
from which they spring upon their prey, particularly 
the antelope. There were two hyenas, animals which 
no degree of kindness or familiarity with man can at 
all soften from their native ferocity ; a nhyl-ghaw^ a 
Jarge animal resembling the elk in form, but having a 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 157 

head like that of a horse, except that it is crowned with 
horns> 

The elephant held the first rank in size. This ani- 
mal was nearly nine fpet hiiih, and looks more likp a 
huge rock than a living animal. ^ It is wonderful with 
what ease he "wields his lithe proboscis." It an- 
swers him all the purposes of a hand, and as Buifon re- 
markf^, he carries his nose in the same organ, and thus 
unites touch, smell, and the power of grasping, all in 
one member. Without it he certainly could not sub- 
sist. I threw a small key among the straw on the iloor, 
when, by the direction of his keeper, he found it with 
his proboscis, and gave it to me. Being asked how 
many gentlemen there were in the room, he gave as 
many short breathings as corresponded to the number, 
and the same for the ladies ; in the same manner he told 
the ages of two children that were present : — he bolted 
and unbolted the doors, picked up my cane and gave it 
to me, took off the keeper's hat and put it ob, thrust 
his proboscis into my waistcoat pocket, and took out a 
piece of money that was there, &c. Well might Mr. 
Pope call him " half reasoning elephant." 

Among the smaller animals were several kangaroos; 
they have very short fore legs and very long hind ones, 
on which they stand erect, and one of them had been 
taught to box with his keeper, while in this attitude, 
and might have made a very tolerable pupil of Men- 
doza, with at least as much that was human about him. 

There was a very great collection of monkeys and 
baboons ; but with this burlesque on the human form, 
I am always disgusted, and feel disposed to say, as 
the king of England, under the title of king of the 
Brobdinags, is represented in a late caricature print, 
as saying of Bonaparte, under the character of Guili- 
VOL. f. 11 



158 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

ver. The king, with an opera glass at his eye, looks 
intently at the little invader, whom he holds up be- 
tween his thumb and finger, while he petulantly ex- 
claims, " I am of opinion that it is a most odious lit* 
tie animal !'* 

I must not omit to mention the little bull taken from 
the menagerie of Tippoo Saib, at Seringapatam. He 
is only 2 feet 7 inches high, and is kept in a garret^ 
around which he runs like a cat. 



No. XIV.— LONDON. 

Ml'. West.,. .His sentiments on the progress of the fine arts.,.. 
Anecdote of the King and Mr. West.. .An excursion into the 
country.. ..Singular whim of a Dutchman. 

MR. AVEST. 

May 31.- — I dined to-day at the house of Mr. West. 
At his table I unexpectedly met the author of the Vi- 
sion of Columbus. 

Mr. West is a venerable old man of 70. His head 
is white as snow, but he exhibits no other marks of 
age. He has much ease, aflfability, and simplicity of 
manners, with a kindness of deportment which enables 
one to be immediately unembarrassed in his society. 
His house is adorned with a profusion of fine pictures, 
but I did not take the liberty of inquiring which were 
his, J endeavoured to draw him into conversation 
tapon the subject of the fine arts, in one department of 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 159 

"which, that of historical painting, you know he has 
gained the first rank. He very obligingly yielded to 
my wishes, and gave me an interesting and instructive 
historical sketch of the rise and progress of the fine 
arts in England. With this subject he seemed to be 
perfectly acquainted. He dates their origin from the 
time of the third Edward, and he enumerated the paint- 
ers, architects, and sculptors who had flourished in the 
different reigns. But, so little progress had these things 
made, even at the close of the reign of George II. whea 
Mr. West came to England, that he declared the coun- 
try was at that time almost destitute of the cultivators 
of the fine arts ; — more destitute in his opinion than 
America now is. But, he added, that England could 
now boast of more than 300 distinguished painters and 
sculptors. Along with this progress in the fine arts, 
he had traced a growing refinement and humanity in the 
manners of the people. Formerly, every young gen- 
tleman was obliged to learn boxing, to defend himself 
against the insults of the mob, which he was sure io 
receive in walking the streets; but now, there is uni- 
versal decorum and civility in the manners of the lower 
ranks. 

He inquired concerning the state of society in Ame- 
rica, and particularly of the progress of the fine arts. 
He thought that they had already attained a great de- 
gree of attention, considering the age of the country, 
and seemed very much gratified with the introduction 
of the plaster casts of the celebrated statues of anti- 
quity, into New- York, lie said he would not relin- 
quish the idea of revisiting his country, from which he 
had now been absent more than forty years, as he was 
prepared to be very much gratified in witnessing its 
improvement. He spoke very highly of young Mr. 



160 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

Malbone of your town, and pronounced him to be, in 
his opinion, a first-rate miniature painter. 

Mr. West, you know, has long held a high rank in 
the favour and patronage of the king As this patron- 
age began before the American war, it was natural to 
expect either that it would have been withdrawn when 
that crisis came on, or, that at least all sympathy with 
his countrymen must have been studiously concealed 
t)n the part of Mr. West. But, much to the credit of 
this gentleman and of his royal patron, no such dis- 
graceful compliances were either conceded or required. 
I have heard an anecdote on this subject, which ought 
to be mentioned for the honour of both parties. 

During the American war, Mr. West was employed 
at Windsor Castle, in painting an historical piece for 
his Majesty, who often attended in person to observe 
the progress of the work. The etiquette of the court 
is, it seems, that no man speaks loud in his Majesty's 
presence, unless first spoken to by him ;—- all other 
conversation is conducted in whispers. The King was 
in the painting room, one morning, as usual, and a 
number of the courtiers were present, among whom 
was a particular nobleman, who had long been envious 
of Mr. West's high standing with the Izing, and was 
using every artifice to wound his fame, it happened 
that a gazette extraordinary had, that morning, been 
sent down from London, giving an account of the bat- 
tle of Cambden in South Carolina. This, the noble- 
man thought, would be a good opportunity to attack 
Mr. West in presence of the King. Accordingly, 
without paying any regard to the propriety of the oc- 
casion, he addressed Mr. West in a loud voice, and a 
short dialogue ensued, in nearly the following terms. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 161 

Mr. West, have you heard the news from town this 
morning ? 

No, sir, I have not seen the papers of to-day. 

Then, sir, let me inform you, that his Majesty's 
troops in South Carolina have gained a splendid victo- 
ry over the rebels, your countrymen. This, 1 sup- 
pose, cannot be very pleasant news to you, Mr. West ! 

Mr. West saw the snare that was laid for him, and 
determined that if he must die, he would die like a 
man. He therefore replied — no, sir, this is not plea, 
sant news to me, for I never can rejoice at the misfor^ 
tunes of my countrymen. 

The King, who, till this moment, had not appeared 
to regard the conversation, now turned, and said to 
Mr. West, — sir, that answer does you honour ! and 
then immediately addressing himself to the Lord, add- 
ed, — sir, let me tell yoii^ that, in my opinion, any man 
who is capable of rejoicing in the calamities of his 
country, can never make a good subject of any govern- 
ment ! 

Such sentiments as these are characteristic of a 
magnanimous and superior man, and must certainly go 
far towards invalidating unfavourable popular impres- 
sions concerning the present King of England. 

AN EXCUKSION. 

June 1. — London, you know, is surrounded by vil- 
las and country seats, where the opulent citizens re- 
side a greater or less part of the year. I have dined, 
to-day, at one of these beautiful places, about three 
miles from town, on the Kent road. It is the seat of 

3VIr H , a wealthy merchant, the particular friend 

of our celebrated countryman Dr. M . I found 

^jr. H' walking in the grounds back of his house, 

14* 



162 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

in company with a young clergyman from Ireland. 
We had a large party at dinner. Among the ladies 
were several who were young and pretty, and whose 
features had much softness and delicacy of expression. 
Our circle, besides being distinguished for that ele- 
gance of manners and cultivation of mind which the 
first people of every polished country exhibit, was re- 
markable also as being composed principally of reli- 
gious people. There were several clergymen at table, 
and among the rest the author of the Village Sermons, 
an intelligent and pleasing man. But the young cler- 
gyman from Ireland annoyed us very much by his ex- 
treme loquacity. Forgetting what was due to older 
men, to strangers, and to ladies, he talked almost in- 
cessantly, and that notwithstanding the fears kindly 
expressed by some of the ladies, lest his exertions to 
entertain the company should injure his health, which, 
it seems, is bad ; but hints would not do, for, with the 
utmost self-possession and assurance, he continued to 
pour down " the wordy shower" till every one was 
heartily tired. 

Mr. H— is a man of very mild pleasing manners, 
of a sound and cultivated mind, and apparently a warm 
Christian. He is distinguished in England, and not 
unknown in other countries, as an active friend of re- 
ligion, in support of which he contributes not only his 
time and exertions, but very liberally from his income; 
for the religious people of England make greater exer- 
tions than those of any other country in support of the 

cause which they espouse. Mr. H was so kind, 

as to introduce me, a few days ago, to a meeting of the 
London MissionarySocietyjwhere a collection of bene- 
volent men were deliberating on the means of spreading 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 163 

Christianity among the inhabitants of the South Sea 
Islands. You have heard, perhaps, thai during the 
late short peace nith France, a committee of En<^lish 
gentlemen went over to Paris, for the purpose of tak- 
ing steps to supply the French with the Bible in their 

own language. Of this committee Mr. II was one, 

and he assured me that the fact which was published 
was literally true, that they searched Paris for several 
days, before a single Bible could be found. 

The seat of this gentleman was built by a Dutch- 
man, who manifested the strong effect of national habit 
on private taste, by surrounding the house with a very 
broad and deep ditch filled with water, like the canals 
of Holland, and furnished with a draw-bridge like a 
fortification. I know not whether he really intended 
to fortify the house, like an ancient castle, cr to make 
the scene somewhat resemble Holland, for the country 
was such as to render a ditch perfectly unnecessary. 

This place is a delightful retreat, in the midst of 
green fields, groves, and flowering shrubs, and every 
thing bears the marks of opulence and ease. But, 
great opulence is so common here, and all the works 
of utility, beauty and magnificence, which result from 
it, that one would be ready to conclude, as did Rasse^ 
las, when he entered Cairo, that every body is happy; 
did not the numerous wretches in the streets, from 
whose pressing solicitations for relief, enforced by 
rags, sickness, blindness, maimed limbs and the ema- 
ciation of hunger, it is scarcely possible to escape, con. 
vince him that even England has its full share of hu- 
man misery, and that it no where exhibits more dis- 
tressing spectacles than in London. 



164 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 



No. XV.—LONDON. 

A republican lord.,..His mechanical ingenuity.... An ingenious 
invention of his. ...His sentiments on the state of the country 
..r. A dinner....Reserve of the English. ...Baliad singers. 

INCIDENTS. 

Ju7te 2.— At a private house I met, this evening, a 
noble lord, who is distinguished in this country as a 
great patron of political and mechanical projects. He 
is particularly partial to Americans because they are 
presumed to be, of course, republicans ; and men of 
science and inventive genius meet with his particular 
attention, because he is really a distinguished mecha- 
nician, and generally a patron of improvements whose 
object is practical benefit to mankind. 

His lordship's appearance was perfectly plain, and 
would never have led any one to suspect that he was 
a nobleman ; his deportment was very affable, and re- 
moved all embarrassments to conversation. In this 
he took a leading part, and it turned principally on 
topics connected with chemistry and mechanics. 
With these subjects he appeared to be extensively ac- 
quainted. 

There was a German lady present belonging to his 
family ; she was performing upon the piano, and his 
lordship informed me that such were her talents for 
musical composition, that she would often play off the 
finest airs, extempore, and thus these delightful effu- 
sions of genius were irrecoverably lost, for she could 
never repeat them without variation. To arrest these 
fleeting touches of harmony, he had invented a musical 
instrument similar to the piano, with the keys of which 



ENGLAND, "HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAN». 165 

he had connected a mechanical contrivance which ne- 
cessarily noted down the music as fast as it was played, 
the same movement of the keys producing both effects. 
If this invention is not as important to mankind as 
that of the infernal engines, it at least has the merit of 
innocence. 

His lordship is in the opposition, and is very well 
known to have strong republican tendencies. He told 
me that he considered the ruin of this country as now 
inevitable, and he spoke warmly against the right of 
primogeniture and the vast difference between the con- 
dition of the rich and of the poor in England I must 
confess I find it no easy task to reconcile myself to the 
profusion, frivolity and splendor of too many of the 
English gentry, contrasted with the inevitable poverty 
and wretchedness of great numbers of the lower clas- 
ses ; but I should have never expected to hear, from the 
mouth of an English nobleman, a declaration that 
primogeniture is unreasonable. It is not easy to see 
how his lordship reconciles his republican notions, 
with his aristocratical practice. He said that all would 
have been well in England, if the French revolution 
had not taken the unhappy turn it did, but now they 
were going on with one unnecessary war after another, 
and the country was groaning under six hundred mil- 
lions of debt, a sum which all the land of Great-Bri- 
tain and Ireland, if sold, would not produce. 

June 3. — A( a dinner in the city, to-day, I met an 
embarrassment which is too often experienced in Eng- 
land. The party was large, and, as usual, began io 
converse on their own personal topics, and I to look 
forward to the entertainment of my own reflections. 

But, I soon came to a resolution to attempt a share 
in the conversation^ and accordingly addressed myself 



166 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

to a young Englishman, who sat next to me * but I 
was not fortunate in the choice of my subject, for the 
conversation was not supported ; I asked him, next, 
concerning the ceremonies of the king's birfh-dayj 
which is to-morrow, but of this he knew nothing — 
and then, whether his majesty was not an excellent 
horseman. I now found that I had touched the right 
string, for, the young gentleman belonged to a volun- 
teer corps of cavalry ; from that moment we entered 
into a very spirited conversation upon horses — horse- 
manship — the volunteer system — Bonaparte and the 
invasion, and in the event, the conversation became 
general, and the evening one of the most pleasant that 
I have spent in this country. The young officer of 
dragoons gave me his address and invited me to attend 
one of the reviews of his corps, and to visit him at 
Clapham. 

The truth seems to be that the English are often re*- 
served, and will not trouble themselves to converse 
with you, if you are willing to remain silent. The 
reasonable modesty and difPidence of a stranger, they 
appear to mistake for stupidity or ignorance, and al- 
though they do not want discernment to discover, or 
spirit to repress impudence and vanity, they will not 
think much of you, if you have not a good share of 
self-possession and confidence in yourself. 

Returning home, about 10 o'clock at night, I ob- 
served one of those little circles which are \eTy com- 
mon in the streets of London ; I allude to the audi- 
ences which gather around the ballad singers. These 
are usually poor women, or little girls, with every ap- 
pearance of extreme povert)', who collect a few pence 
by singing ballads at the corners of the streets, under 
the bow-windows of shops, and the porticoes of pub- 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 167 

lie buildings. Although their voices are usually harsh 
from being so often exerted, and their performances, 
in every respect indiflfereni, they immediately draw a 
circle around and detain them a long time. Some 
stop from curiosity, some from pity, and some to pick 
pockets ; the latter class hardly ever fail to find sub- 
jects in every crowd, for, although those who know 
London never trust themselves in throngs, with much 
property about them, there are always novices enough 
■whom curiosity attracts, and ignorance of the arts of 
pick-pockets renders insensible to their danger. 



No. XVI —LONDON. 

The king's birth day.. ..Palace of St. James.... Court dress... " 
Embarrassment from lioop petticoats.. ..Contest of coach- 
men,.. .Procession of mail coaches....Splendid equipages.... 
Pressure of the crowd. 

THE KING'S BIRTH DAY. 

Jtine 4.— This is his majesty's birth day, and after 
dinner I followed the current to St. James' palace to 
see the parade on the occasion. The palace makes 
but an indifferent appearance ; it is a plain brick 
building of an irregular form in some parts, and where 
it is regular, it has only one story ; this part extends 
a considerable distance and gives it the appearance of 
a manufactory, or range of low ware-houses. The 
palace was erected by Henry VflL and is now used 
only for state purposes, as the royal family never 
reside in it. During their winter residence near town, 
(for they never live actually in London.) thry reside 



168 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

in Buckingham house, which is known by the name of 
the queen's palace. 

On this occasion, St. James' street and all the 
streets leading to St James' palace, were crowded with 
splendid equipages, ravalr)', sedan chairs, soldiers, and 
thousands of common mortals, f had not taken any 
steps to obtain admission into the palace, and therefore 
saw nothing more than what every body in the streets 
might see. 

As the nobility came out of the palace to get into 
their coaches, I had an opport^^iity of seeing them in 
their court dress. On common occasions the nobility 
are not distinguished, by their dress from other men, 
but, on the King's birth day, and other great days of 
state, their appearance is very splendid. Bag wigs, 
full. sleeved and flowing coats, and long waistcoats su- 
perbly embroidered, large shoe-buckles, set with gems 
or imitations of them, and swords by their sides, were 
the principal peculiarities which I observed. 

The ladies wore hoop petticoats ; the hoop was not 
a circle, but a large oval. The petticoat was not suf- 
fered to flow in natural folds, but was distended by 
elliptical rings, like a scoop-net, and glittered all over 
with gems and spangles. But there ^tas a serious dif- 
ficulty alfendin^ the position of the hoop. The long- 
est diameter was at right angles, with the lady's path, 
and slve must therefore necessarily require no small 
space to walk in ; but, this space was not to be had, 
for, the gaping crowd, being wedged as close as they 
could stand, and pressing forward to gaze on the iace 
of nobility, would open only a narrow lane for the 
Courtiers. In this dilemma, ingenuity stood ready at 
the call of necessity, and the ladies, as they passed 
through th^ crowd contrived to twist the whole ma- 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 169 

chinery round, so as to bring the shortest diameter 
across the path. But, with all this aid from ingenuity, 
it was no small achievement to deposit one of the la- 
dies safely in her coach ; a soldier, with fixed bayonet, 
and two or three footmen went before to clear the way, 
and two or three footmen followed to close it ; in some 
instances both lords and ladies were borne to their 
carriages, or even quite away, in sedan chairs. 

It was amusing to hear the speeches of the mob, 
on the occasion ; they seemed to consider it as a spec, 
tacle^ exhibited for their diversion, and they made very 
free with the gentry as they passed. An officer appa- 
rently of rank in the army, when closing the door of 
his sedan chair, had the misfortune to shut it upon the 
lop of his gallant feather, which drew the hat ofi'from 
his head as he sat down ; the women in the crowd 
raised a broad laugh, looking in at the windows, and 
grinning in his face, but, he had the good sense and 
good nature to laugh with them, while he adjusted his 
hat, and moved on in much good humour. 

There was a great procession of coaches, extending 
a mile or two, and there was much emulation among 
the coachmen who should be first. I saw a contest of 
this kind, which lasted a great part of tl\e way down 
St. James' street. Two coaches were contending for 
the precedency, but they were abreast and so complete- 
ly wedged on all sides by the throng, that neither 
could gain the advantage, although, every time the 
flood moved on a little, the coachmen whipped and 
pushed the horses, which were very spirited and ready 
to fly away with the carriages. At length the thing 
became so dangerous to the safety of those around, 
that the dragoons rode up and with their broad swords 
Arranged the point of honour. The fellow who was 

TOL. I. 15 



170 A JOURNAL OP TRAVELS IN 

ordered into the rear, submitted with a sullen air, 
while his competitor triumphed, and the mob raised a 
loud laugh. 

Beside the private carriages, there was a showy pro- 
cession of all the mail coaches in the city ; the coach- 
men, guards, and servants were dressed in scarlet ;— 
the trappings were of the same colour, and all were 
fantastically trimmed and decorated. This ceremony 
always takes place on the king's birth day, because 
the post-office department, with all its servants, is con- 
sidered as an appendage of the crown. 

The coaches of some of the nobility were extremely 
splendid ; — 'Some of them were newly made, on pur- 
pose for the occasion, and were covered with spangles 
and gold in the glittering style of toy-shop finery. 
The livery of the footmen was also gaudy and fantas. 
tical to the last degree. They wore lace not only on 
the borders, but on all the seams of their garments, 
and their large cocked hats were surrounded with 
broad fringes of silver or gold. On such occasions as 
these it is a point of great ambition to display the fin- 
est equipage, and the contending claims of the com- 
petUors ar^ usually adjusted by a decision, which is 
made knowQ in the next day's gazette. One great 
point of emulation is to excel all rivals in the number 
of footmen. Some of the coaches had two, three, and 
even four footmen, standing up, and holding on behind 
the carriage, not to mention occasionally a supernu^ 
merary one on the coachman's box. These footmen 
are frequently very handsome young men ; personal 
beauty seems to be one important qualification for 
their stations. London contains a prodigious nuTnber 
of them ; — I have heard it asserted that there are 
?0,000* 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 171 

I did not see the royal equipage. It was on the 
other side of the palace, and it was impossible to get 
to it through the crowd. Indeed as it was, I felt my- 
self happy to escape without Injury, for such was the 
tumult, and the pushing and striving, that there was 
no small danger of being hurt. I never was so sensi- 
ble of the dreadful pressure of a city crowd ; the 
streets terminating at the palace all poured their thou- 
sands to one centre, and it was my fortune to find a 
place just at this point. Perceiving that the pressure 
was fast becoming greater than was either pleasant or 
safe, I endeavoured to withdraw, but in vain ; I was 
precisely in the situation in which the mechanical phi- 
losophers inform us that a body will remain at rest, 
that is, I was equally pressed on all sides, and remain- 
ed fast enclosed in this great mass of human bodies, 
till the stationary tide of flood began to ebb, when I 
was borne along w ith the general current, and escaped. 

We were exposed to some danger from the horse- 
guards, which were stationed in St. James' street, to 
keep the passage open for the coaches ; for, while w5 
were urged forward, by the accumulating crowd in cur 
rear, we were repressed by the cavalry in front, who, 
whenwe'had pushed on too far, rode in among us, 
with drawn swords, and it was our concern to see that 
our plebeian feet were not crushed. 

This evening the windows of his majesfy's trades- 
men are brilliantly illuminated with lamps of various 
hues, so arranged as to represent crowns and other 
appropriate figures. The tradesmen who have the 
honour of his majesty's patronage, or who at least 
boast of it on their sign-boards, are so numerous, that 
the streets look very gay on the occasion. 



172 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

No. XVII.— LONDON. 

Review of volunteers ...The parks....Exhibition of paintings at 
Somerset House.. ..How estimated by those who have seen 
the Louvre....The Lancastrian school... .Oddity of punishment 

there Cooke in Richard III ....Foundling' hospital Dr. 

T ^'s Temple of Flora....Dr. Shaw....Mrs. Knowles....Her 

talents and attainments. 

A REVIEW. 

June 6. — I spent several hours this morning in at- 
tending a review of volunteers in Hyde Park. By 
some this system of volunteer defence is regarded as a 
national palladium, and by others as a mere pageant, 
calculated to amuse the country into a false security. 
Probably the truth lies between them, but no one can 
question that it must be an excellent thing to provide 
so many men with arms, and to teach them their use.. 

The review to-day afforded little which is not usu- 
ally seen on such occasions. The weather was warm, 
and the regiments were involved in clouds of dust. 
This prevented my obtaining a sight of the King, who 
"was present, but I had a glimpse of the Prince of 
Wales, who was on horseback, surrounded by atten- 
dants. He wore a blue uniform, and his person is now 
large and corpulent. 

Hyde Park is a fine place for reviews. It contains 
between three and four hundred acres of ground, and 
it formerly occupied about six hundred, before Ken- 
sington Gardens were taken off from it. The parks 
which lie at the west end of London are delightful 
retreats frooi the noise and confined air of the city. 
All together I imagine they must occupy eight hundred 
or one thousand acres of ground, which is diversified 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 173 

with fine rows of trees ; — single trees here and there 
— gravelled walks — lakes — canals — palaces on their 
confines, and frequently an innumerable multitude of 
carriages and people. 

EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS. 

June 7. — I have been, in company with Mr. and 

Mrs. G , to see the paintings in Somerset House. 

Somerset House is a vast quadrangular building of 
stone, so arranged as to form a complete hollow square. 
It was formerly a palace, but is now used by the gov- 
ernment for a great variety of public offices, and in it 
are the rooms of the royal and antiquarian societies, 
and of the royal academy. 

In the apartments of the latter there is an annual 
exhibition of all the productions of the pencil for the 
preceding year, which have any claims to distinction, 
and of such others as have never been exhibited before. 
They are suspended principally in one vast room, the 
walls of which are completely covered with them, not 
to mention several smaller apartments. This year the 
separate pieces amount to about 800, and they are said 
to be less numerous than in former years. The object 
of this display appears to be to gratify public curiosi- 
ty, to excite emulation, by a comparative exhibition 
of the works of dilR^rent artists, and to promote the 
sale of the pieces, by exposing them to public view. 
I was highly gratilied with this collection, which I 
have visited once before, and probably shall visit again, 
England has now a great many painters, and the fine 
arts generally are much cultivated. Our countrymen 
who have recently visited Paris, and seen the glories 
of the Louvre, nfWici to dt^spise the paintings in Eng- 
land, and speak of the exhibition at Somerset House 
15* 



174 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

as a trivial thing. They assert that no one can have 
a j list idea of the perfections of the art without visit- 
ing Paris. Of this matter I am not a judge. I have 
ventured however to run the risk of being pleased 
with the paintings of Somerset House, and, as Ameri- 
cans claim liberty of all sorts as their birth-right, I 
hope 1 may enjoy the privilege of being pleased, and 
of saying so, without being compelled to give reasons 
for it. 

THE LANCASTRIAN SCHOOL. 

From Somerset House we went over Blackfriar'^- 
bridge into Southwark, to see the celebrated Lancas- 
trian School. It derives its name from its founder and 
present conductor, a Mr. Lancaster, whose highly be- 
nevolent, meritorious, and successful exertions, have 
procured for hira the applause and patronage of some 
of the first men in the kingdom. He is a quaker, who, 
taking pity on the deplorable condition of a large class 
of children in London, and especially in the borough 
of Southwark, voluntarily undertook their instruction 
and reformation, as far as it is possible for one man to 
do it. The class of children for whose benefit the Lan- 
castrian School was instituted, are those, who, from 
extreme indigence, are given up to idleness, ignorance, 
and vice, candidates for every crime and every punish- 
ment. The great excellence of Mr. Lancaster's plan 
consists in its affording instruction at so cheap a rate, 
that about one thousand children can receive it for a 
sum not exceeding 1400 dollars per annum, including, 
as I understand, all their stationary, books, rewards, 
&c. I saw assembled, in one great room, nearly 700 
children, of which number the school now consists, and 
it has contained 1000. All these Mr. Lancaster su- 



£NGLANB, HOLLAND, AN» SCOTLAND. 175 

perintends and iustructs in person, without any other 
aid than that which be derives from placing the elder 
boys over the younger. For this purpose his school^ 
is divided into companies, like a little army, so that 
there is a regular gradation of instruction and command 
from himself, as commander in chief, down to his little 
lieutenants and sergeants. The minute particulars of 
his novel and curious establishment, will be best learn- 
ed from a book which he will soon publish on the sub- 
ject. I will mention a few circumstances which struck 
me during our visit. 

The school is held in a very plain but extensive 
building, the cheapest that would possibly answer ; 
even the beams and rafters are naked below, and upon 
them are suspended a variety of toys and other things, 
Avhich are occasionally distributed as rewards, and, be- 
ing constantly in view, have a tendency to promote 
emulation. As cheapness of education is the great ob- 
ject, economy is studied in every thing. The young 
boys are not suffered to waste pens, ink, and paper, 
in their first attempts to learn to write. Every table 
is provided with r. narrow bed of sand extending 
through its whole length ; this is smoothed by the hand 
or otherwise, and in this the boys made their first rude 
attempts at writing and ciphering, using the end of the 
finger, or of some blunt instrument, instead of pens 
and pencils. 

There is a curious police in this little republic. I 
believe whipping is not practised at all, but the disci- 
pline of the institution consists principally in motives 
held out to their ambition, and sense of shame. Of the 
first, the rewards which I have already mentioned are 
an example, and I saw a whimsical, and I should think 
not perfectly judicious, instance of the latter. The 



176 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

boys came up in little squadrons, headed by their re- 
spective leaders, to their master, to exhibit the results 
of their industry. One of the youngest classes came 
up while we were conversing with Mr. Lancaster, and 
when any boy had not acquitted himself well, his next 
neighbour, upon a signal from the master, pulled him 
smartly by the ear. This was particularly mortifying 
in the presence of strangers, and I thought their little 
faces were coloured quite as much with indignation 
and resentment as with ingenuous shame. 

Mr. Lancaster is a man of mild manners and of an 
intelligent mind. Although he belongs to the society 
of Friends, he does not attempt to imbue the minds of 
his pupils with his own principles, or to form their 
manners upon the Quaker plan ; insisting merely upon 
the essential principles of religion and morals. 

It is said that the boys in his school learn faster than 
in the common way, and the plan is capable of being 
extf'nded to other countries, and of being executed by 
other men. 

Returning into the city, the kindness of my good 
friends constrained me to dine and take tea with them, 
and I had already breakfasted there that morning, so 
that I made out the day in their society. They are of 
that class of people who seem to receive an obligation 
by conferring it, and to give one a new claim to their 
kindness by having airetidy bestowed it in the most 
generous manner. 

In the evening I went with Mr. G to the Co- 

yent-Gardent theatre, and saw the masterly powers of 
Corke in Richard III. This play is too well known 
to need a recital, and the talents of Cooke in doing 
justice to its principal character are scarcely less 
known in England than the play itself. In this in. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AN» SCOTLAND. 177 

stance, the night scene, in which the slumbers of 
Richard are disturbed by death groans, was admira- 
bly performed, and even the trite exclamation — " my 
kingdom for a horse," produced its full eflect oji the 
audience. 

Between the play and afterpiece, I wandered through 
the house, and was convinced that European theatres 
have not been defamed on the other side of the At- 
lantic. 

There can be no doubt that they are frequented by 
multitudes, not so much for the pleasure of being pre- 
sent at the performances, as because they afford the 
most convenient of all possible rendezvous, for engage- 
ments which it is unnecessary to name. 

FOUNDLING HOSPITAL. 

Sabbath^ June 9, 1805. — Among the many charita- 
ble institutions of London, there is a fine hospital for 
the education and support of foundlings. I attended 
divine service to-day at the church of this institution, 
and had a good view of the children reared by the cha- 
rity. There were about 600 of both sexes, neatly 
dressed in a decent uniform, and apparently very heal- 
thy and cheerful. They were seated in a gallery, 
where the rising of the seats exhibited them to great 
advantage. The preacher gave a superior discourse, 
in which the excellency of the Christian religion* was 
inferred from the existence of charitable institutions in 
Christiun countries and in no other. 

He alluded in a very pathetic and interesting man- 
ner to the children before us, and they, with one ac-^ 
cord rose, as he feelingly asked, what would have been 
their situation but for this institution, since they were 
deserted by their parents, without a name — without a 



178 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

habitation, and with no ligament to connect them with 
society. 

There was no illiberality in this gentleman's dis- 
course towards other denominations ; not long ago, I 
heard an anathema from the same desk, against all 
those v;ho dissent from the established church of Eng- 
land ; the preacher was not, however, Mr. More, the 
one of whom I have now spoken so advantageously. 

The church of the Foundling Hospital is elegant; 
—the altar piece is ornamented with an appropriate 
painting by Mr. West, which he gave to the charity ;■ 
no subject could be better adapted to the place ; it is 
our Saviour receiving the little children that are pre- 
sented to him. 

This church is much frequentud by the nobility and 
people of fashion ; every one contributes something at 
the door, and he is sure that it will be applied to the 
best purposes only, while his gratuity procures him a 
seat, to which he is very civilly conducted by an atten- 
dant. 

IXCIDENTS. 

June 10. — I have been favoured to-day with an in* 
troduction to Dr. T , well known by his work en- 
titled Medical Extracts, and better still by his recent 
production the Temple of Flora. I was at his house, 
and he was so obliging as to shew me the superb pic- 
turesque coloured engravings which have been execut- 
ed for this work. It is a bo-tanical production, in- 
tended to illustrate the principal classes of Linnaeus, 
but more perhaps to exhibit a splendid proof of the 
state of the arts in England. In the latter point of 
view the work is admirable, as it is undoubtedly unrii 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 179 

vailed in the beauty of its engravings and the richness 
of its colours, but it has probably contributed very lit- 
tle to the advancement of science, and still less to *he 
fortune of its author, for it costs, 1 believe, about fifty 
guineas, and there is not as much reading as in a com- 
mon half guinea book. The work is accompanied by 
engraved heads of the principal naturalists, and by po- 
etical quotations adapted to the difierent botanical sub- 
jects. It is in Tcry large folio, and the printing is dif- 
fused over a vast extent of hot-pressed and wire.zcove 
paper ; I need not therefore inform you that it meets 
with only a very heavy sale. Posterity will probably 
wonder that a work so splendid and beautiful could 
ever have been executed, and still more perhaps that 
one so unprofitable should ever have been undertaken. 
The author is a man of frank and pleasing manners, 
and hardly arrived at middle life. 

An introductory note gained me access also to Dr. 

S of the British Museum. As my object vk'as 

merely to make a few inquiries of 'him as a profes- 
sional man, I can say little more of him than that his 
manners, like those of most of the men of literature and 
science whom I have seen in this country, are affable 
and polite. He is distinguished for an extensive and 
accurate knowledge of natural history, on which 
branch he is now publishing a great work, illustrated 
by very fine engravings, taken principally from ori- 
ginal subjects preserved in the great Museums of Lon- 
don. 

The kindness of my friends Mr. and Mrs. G 

has procured for me to-day an introduction to a cele- 
brated literary lady, Mrs. Knowles. They are on 
terms of familiarity at her house, and took me thero 



180 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

to dine. Mrs. Knowles is a venerable old lady of 70, 
who has all the simplicity of manners and dress which 
eh' "acterize the society of Friends of which she is a 
iHember, without any thing of their peculiarities. 

She has been long celebrated in England for her li- 
terary accomplishments and her attainments in the finjg 
arts, not less than for the masculine vigor of her un- 
derstanding. Of the latter Dr. Johnson is said to 
have had a proof, which must have been somewhat 
mortifying, to one accustomed to dictate with dogma- 
tical decision, and to triumph in every contest. I al- 
lude to a dispute which the Dr. held with this lady, 
upon the principles and habits of the Quakers, in 
which he is said to have been fairly worsted by her, 
and driven from the field. 

Mrs. Knowles gratified us with a sight of the nu- 
merous productions of her pencil and her needle, with 
which her apartments are adorned. Many of them 
are exquisite in their kind, and do equal honour to her 
industry and ingenuity. The productions of her nee- 
dle are particularly interesting. Those which I saw 
consisted principally of representations of objects of 
natural history, such as various animals, flowers, fruits, 
&c. In this branch of the imitative arts she has at- 
tained such excellence as almost to rival the pencil it- 
self, for some of the animals represented seemed abso-' 
lutely alive, as if ready to spring forward. 

In the same style Mrs. Knowles has executed the 
best likeness of the King that has ever been taken, 
and his Majesty has paid her very particular marks of 
respect. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. I8l 



No. XVIII.— LONDON. 

British Museum. ...Ej^yptlan and other antiques. ...Sarcophagus 
of Alexander the Great... Roman arms and relics ...Likeness 
of Chaucer....Magna Cliarta... Pope's Homer... Dru^^ Lane 
....Strong curiosity to see the Koyal Family ...Their recep- 
tion at the theatre.... Appearance of the King and of the Fa- 
inily....The play and entertainment. 

BRITISH MUSEUM. 

June 12. — In order to see the British Museum it is 
uecessary to make application on a previous day. I 
made the necessary arrangements yesterday, and was 
this morning admitted to see this celebrated repository 
of curiosities. 

In this instance, as in most former ones, it will be 
my object, my dear brother, to notice only a few of 
those things which interes ed me most. Indeed, if 
the principal purpose of this Journal were descrip- 
tion, I might as well spare myself the trouble of doing 
that which will be found, in many instances, to have 
been better executed by others. But, I write chiefly 
because it is myself that have seen, and you and a few 
other of my most particular friends that will read. I 
cannot doubt that you will be warmly interested in 
every occurrence of my travels and residences abroad, 
and therefore what I have seen, thought, and felt, will 
form to you and the other friends for whom I write, 
not the least interesting circumstance of the story. 

In the yard before the Museum, beneath temporary 
sheds, constructed to defend them from the weather, 
VOL. I. i6 



182 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

till they can be removed into a building now erecting 
for their reception, are the celebrated antiques^ taken 
from General Menou at Alexandria. The French had 
brought them from Cairo and other places with the in- 
tention of transporting them to France, but the catas- 
trophe of the late war in Egypt placed them in the 
power of the English. Among them are several Ro- 
man statues, a pillar of porphyry of extreme hardness, 
an ancient obelisk and several images, supposed to 
have been intended to represent the Egyptian goddess 
Isis ; but a number of sarcophagi are justly reckoned 
among the greatest curiosities. 

They are made of stone, and were used as the exte- 
rior coffins of the Egyptians. The mummy was first 
Wrapped in cloth ; it was then enclosed in a wooden 
coffin, opening with hinges, like a case for spectacles, 
and those mummies which I saw in the Museum, as 
•well as their coffins, were richly ornamented ; last of 
all, the wood coffin was deposited in the sarcophagus. 
The latter are covered with inscriptions and designs of 
various kinds, which T leave the antiquaries to explain. 

The largest and most ornamented of these sarcopha- 
gi is believed to have been the exterior coffin in which 
the body of Alexander the Great was deposited.* 
Giving way to the impression which I strongly felt to 
believe the fact, I was forcibly struck with the humili- 
ating lesson which it reads to human ambition, and es- 
pecially to the thirst for martial glory. 

Say, mighty chief, was this the boasted end 
Of triumphs and of toils like thine renown'd ! 

* AWT^.ngh Alexaiuler died at Babylon, it is well knowt^ 
that his bodv \vas afterwards removed to Alexandria, 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 183 

Did he, who sway'd from Indus to the Nile, 
And claim'd, presumptuous, to be call'd a god — 
Did this dread hero find his last abode 
Within this narrow house ! Thy very tomb, 
Great conq'ror of the world, derides thy claims. 
And shews its marble sides by time unhurt, 
While winds liave blown thy ashes o'er the world ! 

With similar emotions I beheld a collection of arms 
found on the place where the great battle of Cannae 
was fought, and supposed to have belonged to the par- 
ties who contended on that memorable spot. There is 
also a collection of rings and of other ornaments for 
the fingers and ears, which are believed to have been 
worn by the combatants at Cannce. In spite of the 
disposition which is so naturally felt to ridicule an en- 
thusiastic and extravagant admiration of antiquity, one 
cannot remain unaffected when he realizes that these 
rings have been worn on Roman fingers ; — this helmet 
covered a Carthaginian head, and //la^ spear was thrown 
by a Roman hand in the presence of the victorious 
Hannibal. Similar emotions were excited by the nu- 
merous Roman vases ; — the amphoraj in which their 
wines were kept, and especially by the relics of the 
unfortunate Herculaneum. These consist of uten- 
sils, vases, gods, &c. and among other things are the 
v€ry hinges of their doors. By the sight of these au- 
thentic remnants of this illustrious nation, a powerful 
impulse is excited towards the study of their antiqui- 
ties. 

Among the numerous and highly interesting mineral 
specimens, there is an Egyptian pebble which, being 
accidentally broken, discovered, on both faces of the 
fracture, a striking likeness of the poet Chaucer. It 
*£ a most singular lusus naturae. 



184 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

They shewed me Oliver Cromwell's watch, and a 
horn which grew on a woman's head ; her portrait with 
this singular appendage was also preserved there. 

The zoological department was not so extensive as 
I should have expected. The principal glory of the 
museum is the vast collection of manuscripts, ancient 
aiid modern ; but the rapid manner in which they hur- 
ried us through the different apartments did not allow 
me time to examine many of these. I had however the 
satisfaction of seeing the renowned original Magna 
Charta, the very instrument which th^ inflexible ba- 
rons extorted from king John. It is considerably mu- 
tilated and defaced, but still, in the main, legible. 

1 was delighted with a sight of the original copy of 
Pope's Homer, in his own hand writing. Although 
the sheets are now bound together in the form of a 
book, the work appears to have been written on loose 
bits of paper, often on the blank pages and covers of 
the letters of his friends ; not unfrequently the lines 
run across the superscription^ and, Alexander Pope, 
-Esq. Twickenha?n^\s seen glimmering through some of 
Homer's finest strains. There are those who impute 
this to the poet's parsimony, while others consider it as 
a proof that he made the best use of his time, by writing 
down his thoughts at the moment when they occurred, 
on whatever scrap of paper happened to come first. 

Pope's hand-writing was stifif but legible, and the 
numerous erasures evince that his first thoughts were 
not always in his own view, the best. I read as much 
of the book as possible in the short space allowed me, 
and left it with regret. I hope to visit this museum 
again. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 185 

DRURY-LANE AND THE ROYAL FAMILY. 

At 5 o'clock this OTening, I went to the Drury-Lane 
theatre, with the double view of seeing this celebrated 
house, and their majesties who were expected to attend 
that evening. It is known when the king and queen 
are to be at the play by the style of the bill for the 
evening, which, in such case always begins thus ; 

Bi/ com?7iandy their majesties' servants will perform, 
this evening, such a play. 

This title always excites great interest, and it be- 
comes necessary to go to the house at a very early 
hour, if one would obtain a seat, for there seems to be 
as much curiosity in the people of this country to see 
the king and queen and royal family, as if they were 
newly arrived, and were the first of their kind ever ex- 
hibited. This curiosity was evinced, this evening, by 
a very full house, and by a great crowd collected 
around the door, waiting the moment when it should 
open. When this took place, the torrent of people 
poured in like a flood; the passage was narrow, and 
such was the strife and violence, that with the scream- 
ing and fainting of females, it was somewhat of a seri- 
ous affair. 

I took my seat in the pit, that I might be certain of 
seeing the king, for this curiosity was surely par- 
donable in one who had never before seen any sove- 
reign but the people. 

Every thing remained quiet, for a time, while they 
were waiting the arrival of the king and queen. Dur- 
ing this interval, F had leisure to survey this spacious 
and magnificent theatre, of \^hich 1 shall not however 
;itterept a description, for mere descriptions of fine edi- 
16* 



186 A JOURNAL OV TRAVELS IN 

fices without drawings, are of all attempts the least 
successful. 

At length his majesty arrived, and, in an instant, 
the house rang with huzza ! huzza ! with loud clap- 
ping of hands and waving of hats ; the applause was 
reiterated and reiterated, till they seemed as if they 
would never have done. The king bowed to the differ- 
ent parts of the house and took his seat. He is a no- 
ble looking old man, fleshy yet not oppressively cor- 
pulent, and his countenance is so highly coloured that 
on the whole I think he appears younger than almost 
any man of his age whom I have ever seen. The out- 
line of his countenance is very correctly delineated on 
the English guinea, and in many of the prints. He 
was dressed in a blue uniform, faced with red, with 
^old lace, epaulets, &c. 

The royal box is directly over the left side of the 
stage, as one sits facing it, and is adorned with scarlet 
velvet, embellished with gold ; over it is a canopy sup- 
porting a crown, and two yeomen of the guards stand 
below on the stage supporting spears. 

Next came the queen at a short distance from the 
king ; again the theatre rung with applauses and her 
majesty having graciously acknowledged them by the 
usual civility, was seated at the king's left hand. 

She is an old lady of a pleasant countenance, but 
bears the marks of age in a much greater degree than 
the king. 

Immediately behind the king and queen stood the 
lords and ladies in waiting. They do not sit in pre- 
sence of their majesties, and, whatever might be the 
honour, I did not envy them the pleasure of standing 
five hours in that situation., for honour will not keep 
limbs from aching. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 187 

Next came the princesses, Augusta, Elizabeth, Ma- 
ry, Sophia, and Amelia. They were received with ap- 
plauses, but less ardent than those bestowed on their 
majesties ; they returned the compliment Tery gra- 
ciously, and took their seats, the lords and ladies in 
waiting taking their stations behind them as behind 
the king and queen. 

Their box is at the right hand of the royal box, and 
is richly ornamented with blue silk and silver lace. In 
a box immediately at the right of that a number of fe- 
male attendants were seated — I believe they were maids 
of honour; they wore those formidable hoop petticoats 
which I mentioned on the birth-day. Above the maids 
of honour were other royal attendants, lords, gentle- 
men, &c. 

The princesses are not beautiful women ; they are 
however, with one exception, ladies of fine stature and 
commanding presence, and have much dignity in their 
appearance. 

Last of all, appeared one of the king's sons, the 
Duke of Cumberland, but he came into the box below 
the princesses, on purpose, I presume, to avoid ap- 
plause, for it was not given till some time in the even- 
ing, when Ij;^ rose from behind a screen and shewed 
himself. He is a handsome man of about thirty-three 
or thirty-four years of age, as I should suppose from 
his countenance. 

Having finished the arduous business of introducing 
and seating their majesties and the royal family, we 
will proceed to the play. 

First of all, the curtain rose, and discovered a 
throng of actors and actresses, on the stage, who sung 
" God save great Gporge our king." The whole as- 
sembly, not excepting the princesses themselves, join- 



IBS A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IK 

ed in singing the chorus, with a degree of zeal and ani- 
mation, which could hardly be surpassed. 

The play, which was the School for Scandal, was 
performed in a very admirable manner. Mrs. Jordan 
and Miss Pope among the women, and Elliston, among 
the men, particularly excelled. 

If you have read the play, you will remember that 
Charles Surface, bein^ reduced to extreme embarrass- 
ment by his own extravagance, as his last resource to 
raise money, brings the family pictures to the hammer, 
-with the same gay levity which had plunged him into 
distress. He asks with whom one may make free, if 
not with his own relations, and as the pictures are a 
goings he relates who the originals were, and how they 
distinguished themselves. Here gentlemen, said he, 
here are two of the family that were members of par- 
liament, and this is the first time that they were ever 
bought or sold. 

Such is the temper of the public mind, produced by 
the pending charges of peculation against Lord Mel- 
ville, which, whether true or false, have excited great 
jealousy and indignation against the noble lord, that 
this sentiment produced the loudest applauses, again 
and again reiterated, from every side. I thought from 
the king's countenance that he was not much gratified 
with this very distinct expression of the feelings of the 
house, for Lord Melville is a favourite with his majes* 
ty, who, in this business, has taken an active interest 
in his behalf. 

The School for Scandal abounds with point, w it, and 
humour, for which the king seemed to have a high reL 
ishj for he laughed frequently and heartily. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 189 

After the;play, Rule Britiania was sung by the whole 
house, with great enthusiasm, and the princesses joined 
in this chorus also. 

There was a poetical prologue to the interlude, all 
the lines of which ended in ation, and Bonaparte, 
under the nick-name of Bony, by which appellation 
he is cositemptuously and jocosely called in England, 
was severely satirized, as well as his long threatened 
invasion. The king seemed more delighted with this 
than with any thing ; he laughed, almost continually, 
and the queen even exceeded him. 

The after-piece was i/outh^ love and folly^ three 
personages which, it must be allowed, are usually- 
found in company. 

A leading circumstance in this play is, that a lady, 
falling in love with a youth who is required by a stern 
uncle, on whom he is dependent, to marry another, 
equips herself in the dress of a post-boy, and, under 
this disguise, attends her lover, on pretence of being 
his servant. In the beginning of the scene, the lady 
appears on the stage in her proper dress, and has an 
interview with her lover. The uncle, being announ- 
ced by a servant, she precipitately retires into an ad- 
joining apartment, and, to elude discovery, in a few 
minutes returns to the stage in a frock-coat, jockey- 
cap, pantaloons and boots, with whip and spurs, and 
the strut, stride and smart air of an equestrian ; but 
although her delicate face and feminine voice betrayed 
the woman, she seemed perfectly at ease. This trans- 
formation is so common that it is hardly ever repre- 
hended, but, if a modest woman can so far overcome 
the reluctance which she ought to feel to such an inde- 
(jorum, as to appear on a public stage in masculine at- 



190 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN" 

tirCj she must at least belong to that class of virtuous 
women whom Addison calls Salamanders. She is, in 
the language of this acute discerner of human charac- 
ters ; '' a kind of heroine in chastity, that treads 
upon fire, and lives in the midst of flames without be- 
ing hurt." 

The performances this evening were however tolera- 
bly correct with respect to delicacy, but there were 
still many things which a lady ought not to hear with- 
out a frown or a blush. 

The truth is, the theatre is not a school for morals ; 
it is idle to pretend any such thing ; it is a splendid 
fascinating amusement to those who have no worse 
views in attending it, but to multitudes the theatrical 
entertainment is only a secondary object. 



No. XIX.—LONDON. 

Panorama of the battle of Agliicourt....An interesting piece 
of private history. ...Du Bourg's Cork. models of ancient 
temples, &c... .Representation of an eruption of Vesuvius.... 
St. Paul's,. ..Statues....Trophies of Blenheim... .Prospect from 
the gallery around the dome, ...The whispering gallery.. ..The 
great bell. 

PANORAMA OF THE BATTLE OF AGINCOURT. 

June 14.— I spent some time to-day in viewing the 
panorama of the battle of Agincourt, painted by Por- 
ter. Those of the battle of Alexandria and of the 
passage of the bridge of Lodi, by the same artist, 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND'sCOTLAND. 191 

were exMbited lasf u inter in the city of Neu.Yoik. 
The latter 1 saw there in Januar)^. It was a very 
grand painting, and so is this of the battle of Ajjin- 
court. The time of the battl- h that in which flen- 
ry V. dismounts to defend his l)rother the Duke of 
Gloucester, who has fallen down wounded. There 
is one delightful effect produced by fhis painting. 
From the confusion, splendor, and dr'^adful carnage 
of the battle, you turn to the right side of the picture, 
where the river Somme, winding through a charming 
country, presents all the mild beauties of landscape, 
on which, the eye, turning «ith horror from scenes of 
blood, delights to repose. This battle was judiciously 
selected by the painter, for it was one of the most 
splendid which the English annals aflbrd. 

It was fought by Henry against immense odds ; the 
French lost 10,000 men slain, among whom was the 
flower of their nobility, while the English lost only 
a few hundreds. Thtir prisoners, after the battle, 
amounted to more than their whole army. 

The painter has introduced one very interesting 
piece of private history. An Knglish nobleman was 
followed into these wars by his wife, who, actuated by 
affection, accompanied him, in the character of an at- 
tendant ; this she did, dressed in masculine attire, and 
clad in armour. After going through the campaign to 
that time with safety, the nobleman fell in this battle, 
and his wife is exhibited, in the first paroxysms of 
grief, stooping over her dying lord, and directing fhe 
soldiers who support him to bear him away from th e 
field. This battle was fonght in October I4l5 ; the 
picture covers between two and three thousand feet. 



192 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

I am fond of panoramas, especially of battles. 
Their magnitude, the consequent distinctness of the 
objects, and the circular position of the canvass, cor- 
responding with the real horizon, all tend to give one 
the strongest impression of the reality of the scene. 
They are, at present, much in vogue in England. I 
have seen a very fine one of the rock, fortifications^ 
and bay of Gibraltar, with a portion of the adjacent 
parts of Spain and of the opposite coast of Africa, 
They are exhibited in buildings constructed on purpose 
for their reception ; they are circular, like an amphi- 
theatre, and lighted only from above. 

DU BOURG'S CORK MODELS. 

June 18. — Since my arrival in London I have m^t 
with some of my fellow-passengers in the Ontario. 
Probably there are few accidental meetings which ex- 
cite more interest than those produced by being fellow- 
passengers on board a ship, and I have not often been 
more gratified with any similar incident than in finding, 

in this immense wilderness of men, Dr. R and 

Capt.T . 

They breakfasted with me this morning, and we 
went soon after to see Du Bourg^s cork models of an- 
cient temples, theatres, mausoleums, &c. principally 
Roman. 

This very ingenious man, Du Bourg, a Frenchman, 
from an actual residence of nine years in Italy, gained 
the information necessary for the execution t>f his won- 
derful work. It would be doing him great injustice 
to consider his exhibition merely as a display of inge- 
nuity. In this view alone it must excite admiration ; 
but, from the very eftectual aid which it affords in un- 
derstanding the subject of Roman antiquities, it com- 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 1<)3 

municates much delight and instruction. He has con- 
trived, by the aid of cork alone, with a little cement 
and pai t, to give perfect copies of some of the most 
admired ruins of antiquity.* Among these are, 

Part of the sepulchral vaults belonging to the Arun- 
tia family, under a vineyard near Rome. 

The sepulchre of the Scipio family, near the Appian 
Way, three miles from Rome. 

That of the Horatii and Curiatii, at Albano, tweWc 
miles frtm Rome. 

Virgil's tomb, at Pausilipo, near Naples. 

The amphitheatre at Verona, said to be the most per- 
fect now remaining. This is a most interesting model ; 
it gives one a complete idea of a Roman amphitheatre. 
It was capable of giving seats to more than 22,000 
people, besides a gallery for 20,000 more, and, when 
crowded, it would hold 50,000. 

In such places the ancient Romans assembled, to see 
those contests of wild beasts with gladiators, and of 
gladiators with each other, which disgraced the manners 
of that sanguinary although polished people. 

The grotto and fountain of Egeria, and the Tem- 
ple of Janus, I can merely mention, and I cannot en- 
tirely omit the celebrated Temple of the Sybils, ex- 
quisitely done on a scale of one inch to the foot ; 
this is a most beautiful exhibition of architectural ele- 
gance. 

The great cascade of Tivoli, with the town and ad- 
joining country, presents a very interesting scene. 
-Here the artist has contrived not only to give correct 
copies of all the fixed objects, but he has represented 

* I was afterwards assured by an intelligent American, who 
has seen both these models and the originals, that they were 
very correct copies. 

VOL. T. 17 



194 - A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

the fall and roaring of the water in such a manner^ 
that the illusion is complete. The water seems, to the 
eye, actually to pour down the precipice, with copious 
foam and spray • that is, machinery gives motion to 
something which has the appearance of water in vio- 
lent agitation. 

The last thing which I will mention is Mount Vesu- 
vius, as it appeared in the eruption of 1771. We were 
conducted behind a curtain where all was dark, and 
through a door or window, opened for the purpose, 
we perceived Mount Vesuvius throwing out fire, red 
hot stones, smoke and flame, attended with a roaring 
noise like thunder ; the crater glowed with heat, and, 
near it, the lava had burst through, the side of the 
mountain, and poured down a torrent of liquid fire, 
which was tending toward the town of Portici, at the 
foot of the mountain, and toward the sea, on the mar- 
ffin of which this town stands. The waves of the sea 
are in motion— -the lava is a real flood of glowing and 
burning matter, which this ingenious artist contrives 
to manage in such a manner as not to set fire to his 
cork mountain. The flames, cinders, fiery stones, &c. 
are all real, and it is only conceiving the scene to be at 
such a distance as greatly to reduce the scale of the 
mountain, and one will thus obtain not only a very 
impressive but probably a correct idea of its presence. 

In the eruption of 1771, the lava ran down a preci- 
pice of 70 or 80 feet, and presented the awful view of 
a cataract of fire. This, also, by shifting his machine- 
ry, Du Bourg has contrived to exhibit in a very strik- 
ing manner. He has not forgotten to appeal to the 
sense of smell as well as to those of sight and hearing, 
for, the spectator is assailed by the odour of burning 
^t^lphur, and such other effluvia as volcanoes usually 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 195 

emit : I suppose they are set on Are by some one be- 
hind the scene, for the double purpose of producing 
the smell and the fiery eruptions. 

The cork models are all very firm, and will bear a 
hard blow with the fist. 

ST. PAUL'S. 

From this instructive and interesting scene I went 

with Dr. 11 to St. Paul's, and took a view of this 

vast strpcture. From entire despair of doing justice 
to one of the finest and most sublime productions of 
modern architecture, I shall not attempt a description 
of St. Paul's. There is an excellent one in the picture 
of liondon, and, so far as I can judge, it is extremely 
correct. In that account it is mentioned as a singular 
circumstance, that although it took 35 years to erect 
this church, it was '' built by one architect, Sir Chris, 
topher JVrcn ; and one mason, Mr. Strong ; while one 
prelate, Dr, Henri/ Compton^ filled the see ;" whereas 
" St Peter's at Rome was 135 years in building ; a 
succession of twelve architects being employed on the 
work, under a succession of nineteen Popes." 

St. Paul's is 500 ^Qoi long, 250 broad, and 340 high. 
It cost nearly 750,000 pounds sterling. 

They are beginning to erect statues to illustrious 
men within St. Paul's. As yet there are but a few, 
and among.them is that of Howard, so well known for 
his active and real philanthropy. Burke speaks of 
his travels as a grand circumnavigation of charity, in 
which it was not his object to survey the grandeur of 
temples and palaces, but to take the guage and dimen- 
sions of human depression, misery, sorrow, and con- 
tempt * Here is also a statue to Johnson, to Sir 

* " He has visited all Europe, not to survey the sumptu- 
ousness of palaces, nor the stateliness of temples ; not to 



196 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

William Jones, and to Captains Burges and Falconer^ 
who fell in battle. All these statues are executed in 
the finest style of modern sculpture, and are very or- 
namental to the cliurch. 

Within the dome of St. Paul's are suspended a con- 
siderable number of flags taken at different times from 
the enemies of England, at the price of blood. 

Among these I viewecj with strong emotions those 
which were won by General Wolfe on the plains of 
Abraham, in the decisive battle which gave him victory 
in the moment of death. 

Here also hang the tattered trophies of the sangui- 
nary field of Blenheim ; they are six or seven in num- 
ber ; — now very much mutilated by time, but still 
serving to excite many a heroic and m.elancholy emo- 
tion. 

With these interesting remnants of the dreadful 
conflict at Blenheim, one naturally associates the re- 
collection of the ambitious, vain, and /rivolous Louis, 
and of his illustrious scourge, the Duke of Marlbo- 
rough. 

We ascended to the gallery which surrounds the ex- 
terior of the dome, and took a view of this amazing 
structure, and of the immense city in which it is situ- 

make accurate measurements of the remains of ancient gran- 
cleur, nor to form a scale of the curiosities of modern art ; 
not tA collect medals, nor to collate manuscripts ; but to dive 
into the depths of dungeons, to plunge into the infection of 
hospitals, to survey the mansions of sorrow and pain ; to take 
guage and dimensions of misery, depression, and contempt ; 
to remember the forgotten ; to attend to the neglected ; to 
visit the forsaken ; and to compare and collate the distresses 
of all men in all countries. His plan is original, and It is as 
full of genius as it is of humanity It is a voyage of philan- 
thropy — a circumnavigation of charity !" 



ENGLAND) HOLLAND, AND SCOLAND. 19.7 

ated. London is too great for distinct comprehension 
at a single view ; it is a world ! 

The objects most distinctly seen from this elevation 
are the church-yard of St, Paul's, immediately below ; 
— Ludgate-hill ; — Cheapside ; — the river with its 
bridges ; — all around, a confused wilderness of houses,, 
whose tiled roofs present a rude and barren prospect 
for many a furlong ; — spires, cupolas, and turrets 
without number, and among these the Tower and 
Westminster Abbey, marking the two extremes of Lon- 
don, and, more remote, the hills of Kent on one side,, 
and those of Hamstead and Highgate on the other, 
with a whole horizon of various intervening country. 

From the roof of St. Paul's one cannot see much of 
the bustle of the city, because the houses hide most of 
the streets. The whole, however, seems like a beauti- 
ful reduced picture, and the carriages and people in 
Ludgate-hill, Cheapside, the church-yard, and other » 
places which are visible, have an appearance of minute- 
ness, and yet of distinctness and activity, which gives, 
it all the air of a show. 

Descending, we visited the whispering gallery. This 
is situated within the dome, at the distance of about 
one third of the way from the bottom to the top, and 
is an exact circle of 140 feet in diameter. 

If you lay your mouth close to the wall, and whis- 
per in ever so low a voice, even so that the person who 
stands within a single yard cannot hear, such is the 
reverberation, that any one on the opposite side, 140 
feet off, will, on laying his ear to the wall, hear every 
word distinctly, as if some one were speaking in a 
loud andmidihie whisper, and it is not easy to be per- 
suaded that someone is not concealed behirid the walls, 
for the purpose of imposition, I could hardly banish 
17 * 



198 A JOURNAL OF TRAyELS IN 

this impression till Dr. R and I placed ourselves 

in opposite points of the gallery, and actually carried 
von a conversation of some minutes, although in very 
low whispers. When the door of this gallery is forci- 
bly shut, it sounds, to a person on the opposite side^ 
like thunder. 

Prayers are said publicly in St. Paul's, three times 
every day, and then any body may go in without pay- 
ing a fee, which is demanded on all other occasions. 
The whole church is parcelled out into departments, 
for the sight of each one of which the visitor pays 
separately. 

There is a library in the church, but it is not very 
extensive. 

The great bell weighs more than eleven thousand 
pounds. It is tolled only on occasion of the death of 
one of the royal family, or of the dean of St. Paul's, 
or the bishop of London. 

There is preserved in the church a beautiful model 
of the building which Sir Christopher Wren intended 
to have erected, for he was not permitted to follow 
his own plan entirely. 



No. XX.~LONDON. 

A painting room.... Phaeton and the solar chariot....Our Saviouy 
at the last supper, 8ic,...An incident,...Leverian museum,... 
Birds. ...Monkeys. ..Whimsical arrangement of thera....Min. 
erals, &C....A pastry-cook's shop....India-House. 

A PAINTING ROOM. 

June 19. — I have this morning called on Mr. West. 
i found this indefatigable man in his painting-roont^ 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 199 

with his pallet on his thumb and his pencil in his fin- 
gers. I was conducted to this apartment through a 
long gallery of statues and paintings, the very appro- 
priate decorations of the hall of a great master. In 
the room where Mr. West was, were man}' fine paint- 
ings. I was particularly struck with one which re- 
presented Phseton as soliciting the reins of the solar 
chariot ; the hours, in the form of beautiful women, are 
leading out the impetuous coursers, to harness them to 
the chariot of the glorious luminary, while he is pour- 
ing out a Hood of light on the opening heavens, and on 
the gods, who are assembled to witness this enterprise 
of youthful temerity. 

There was another, representing our Saviour at the 
last supper. In the mild resignation of his counte- 
nance you may read, " not my will, but thine be 
done." A third exhibited Cicero, with the magistrates 
of Syracuse, ordering the tomb of Archimedes to be 
cleared of the shrubs and trees with which it was over- 
grown. But I may be tedious while I give only a faint 
impression of beauties which must have their access to 
the heart through the eye. 

Mr. West received me with much kindness, and 
conversed with the most engaging freedom. He seems 
to be engrossed by his profession, and it is easy to see 
that the slate of the fine arts makes a ver> conspicu- 
ous figure in all his estimates of national improve- 
ment. 

lie spoke in the highest terms of Trumbull. " His 
sortie of Gibraltar (said he) was done in this room • 
it is a great production — it is one of the great things 
of modern times. Trumbull has fine talents for paint- 
ing, tind he adorns them by the most finished oian- 
ners." 



200 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

As I retired from this interview, I lingered a while- 
as I was passing through the gallery, to glance at its 
numerous paintings, prints, and statues. 

What think you brother ? Do not these painters 
and sculptors take rather too great liberties ? In their 
academies and painting rooms, we cannot object to their 
availing themselves of every aid, afforded them ei- 
ther by nature or art, and it is proper that the subjects 
which they study should be fully before them, without 
the intervention of " these light incumberances which 
we wear." 

I would not pass for a barbarian, but, really, the 
exhibition of Venus de Medicis, of Apollo of Belvi- 
d«re, and of other unveiled statues, as well as paint- 
ings, has ever struck me as a little incorrect, where 
mixed parties are to ^ye the spectators ; of such parties 
I have often been one in this country^ but fashion af- 
fords the veil which the painter and sculptor have with- 
held, and the all conquering taste for the fine arts 
sanctions some petty deviations from that correctness, 
which public opinion would sooner give up, than aban- 
don the claim to the possession of taste. 

These things are now to be found in all collections 
of pictures and statues, and a real enthusiasm for the 
fine arts, or the aiFectation of it, has brought down the 
whole rabble of heathen gods and goddesses, with all 
the trumpery of Roman and Grecian fable, into the 
halls of the nobility and gentry of England. 

I dined at my lodgings to-day, and just as I was 
finishing my repast, a coach stopped at the door, and 
I discovered through the window Mr. T , a neigh- 
bour and old acquaintance of mine at home in Ame- 
rica. One who has never resided in a foreign country 
can hardly estimate the value of such an incident. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 201 

I had hardly given him a seat before I overwhelm- 
ed him with questions concerning my country and 
friends. 

lie gave me the most pleasing of all answers, a pack- 
et of letters, the first which I have received in Eng- 
land. I soon recognised the hands of several of my 
friends ; but — what shall I say to you ! yours was not 
there, nor that of any of our family ; the rich present 
from my other friends has however put me into so good 
liumour, that I forgive you for this time, but you must 
not presume too far on my clemency, for, while I am 
every day writing to you, 1 feel as if I had some claims 
to a return. 

Mr. T being an entire stranger in London, I 

spent the remainder of the afternoon in conducting him 
to different parts of the town, for a month's residence 
has made it somewhat familiar to me. 

TIIK LEVERIAX MUSUUxM. 

June 20. — I have been wifh two companions over 
Black friar's Bridge, to see the Lever ian Museum. 
This justly celebrated collection, which is one of the 
first in the world, was originally formed by Mr. af- 
terwards Sir Ashton Lever of Alkerington-Hall, near 
Manchester, at an expense of 50,000/. sterling. Con- 
sequent pecuniary embarrassments obliged him to dis- 
pose of it by a lottery of 36,000 tickets, and while 
28,000 still remained his own, the revolutions of the 
■wheel threw the prize into the hands of Mr. Parkin- 
son, tfie owner of only two, who, in this way, for a 
couple of guineas, became the proprietor of this noble 
museum. 

One room is devoted to the memory of Captain 
Cook, which is here eflfectually preserved by a collecl- 



202 A JOURNAL OF TRATELS IN 

lion of arms, dresses, utensils, idols, &c. which he 
made in his third and last voyage. 

There is a grand collection of birds, in fine preser- 
vation, and beautifully, although not scientifically, 
arranged, in a Rotunda, with an interior gallery. In 
this, the cases are placed, and the whole is illuminat- 
ed by a fine sky light. Here is the bird of paradise, 
among a multitude of the most splendid of the fea- 
thered tribe. 

There is an apartment very gravely devoted to the 
monkeys. Not satisfied with what the Creator has 
done, in making these animals so very ludicrous in 
their appearance and manners ; so much like a man 
that we must acknowledge the resemblance ; so much 
like a brute that we cannot but be disgusted at it ; the 
artist has exhibited them as busied about various hu- 
man employments. 

The taylor monkey sits, cross legged, threading his 
needle, with his work in his lap, and his goose, scis- 
sors, and bodkin by his side. 

The watchman stands at a corner, with his cane and 
Janthorn in his hands. 

The house carpenter monkey is driving the pTUne 
over the bench. 

The ballad singer, with his ballad in his hand, rs 
very gravely composing his muscles to sing. 

The clerk of the monkey room sits writing at a 
desk. 

The shaver has one of his own species seated in a 
chair ; his beard lathered, and the razor just beginning 
to slide over his face. 

The dentist holds his patient by the chops, while 
he strains the turnkey, and produces all the grimace 



ENGLAND, HOLLAxND, AND SCOTLAND. 203 

and contortion of features, which tooth-drawing can 
extort. 

Crispin is pushing the awl and pointing the bristle 
to the shoe, and thus we have our rivals in form actu- 
ally placed erect, and emulating human employments. 
Nothing is wanting but Lord Monboddoe's aid to free 
them from an appendage which this philosopher says 
our species have been so fortunate as to drop, and they 
might perhaps aspire even to the wool sack. 

The mineral room contains a collection of superb 
specimens ; they are large and wonderfully brilliant. 
The specimens of branched coral are so fine, and the 
native crystals of other substances are so perfect and 
beautiful, as almost to justify the poetical descriptions 
of subterranean grottoes and coral groves. I promise 
myself the pleasure of another visit to the Leveriau 
Museum, and therefore leave it for the present. 

As Dr. R and 1 were returning into the city, 

on our way to the Ir.dia-Ilouse, repeated showers 
drove us under the porticoes of the Royal Exchange, 
and into a pastry cook's shop. We partook of some 
of his sickly dainties, and found them, like flattery, 
delicious but unsubstantial. These shops are very 
numerous in London and very lucrative. A pastry 
cook has recently become a Colonel of volunteers, and 
will doubtless have the honour of preparing Bona. 
parte's dessert, whenever he conquers England. 

We went through several apartments of the India- 
house, where are transacted the most niomentous. con- 
cerns of the commercial world, and where is exhibited 
the singular spectacle of a trading company swaying 
the sceptre of a groat empire, and deciding on the fate 
of Asiatic princes. 



204 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 



No. XXI.— LONDON. 

Another visit to Westminster Abbey....Tomb of Henry V. &,c. 

....Westminster Hall. ..Lord Ellenboroiigh.. .Lord Eldon 

Sir James Mansfield.. .Costume and dignity of the Courts.... 
A balloon.. .To be transformed into a temple. . Tower Hill... 
Memorable for state executions....Rag Fair..,Jews...Clothes' 
shops.... Ang'lo-Asiatics and Africans. ...Their condition and 
treatment in England. 

WESTMINSTER AB6EY. 

Jttne 21. — I spent a little while this morning, with 
a friend, in We.stminster Abbey. It was the hour of 
morning service, and the religious officers of the church 
were present in their appropriate robes ; a number of 
boys, dressed in white, were chanting to the organ, 
which, by its deep majestic tones, added to those im- 
pressions of awe, which it is impossible that a stranger 
should not feel, on entering this venerable Abbey. 

It is in vain that the moralist tells me royal ashes are 
no better than mine will be, and that poets, nobles, 
kings, and heroes are but common dust. Still, I feel 
an elevated melancholy when I say to myself, — here 
slumber the Edwards and the Henrys of England ; be- 
neath this marble lies Queen Elizabeth, and here, her 
royal victim, Mary Queen of Scots. 

History calls up, with ppwerful association, the ac- 
tions of the illustrious dead. On one side, the mo- 
nument of Newton fills you w^ith impressions of the 
noble claims which science, intellect, and piety like 
his, have on the admiration of posterity ; while on the 
other, the tomb of Henry V- recalls powerfully to 
one's recollection the conqueror of France. Over this 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 205 

tomb are suspended the shield which he bore, and the 
saddle which he rode, at the memorable battle of Agio- 
court. 

This is one of those dreadful, brilliaHt, sanguinary 
conflicts, which took complete possession of my ima- 
gination when 1 first heard the English history, and I 
cannot tell how it made me feel, to behold these rem- 
nants of the battle of Agincourt. On the mind of an 
American such things produce their full effect, and 
Such an one may be allowed to feel an enthusiasm al- 
most puerile. There is no object that I have seen in 
England of which I am so desirous to give you a cor- 
rect impression as of Westminster Abbey, nor is there 
any task of the kind to which I find myself so inade- 
quate, 

WESTMINSTER HxVLL. 

From the Abbey we went across the street into 
Westminster Hall to see some of the living oracles of 
the law. While we were at this great fountain-head 
not only of Englis^i but of American jurisprudence, 
I often thought of you, my dear brother, and wished 
that you could have been with me to gratify that strong 
professional curiosity, which every lawyer must feel to 
see Westminster Hall, and its courts of justice. Al- 
though the books of reports, which have now become 
so numerous and copious, afford you a better idea of 
what is done here, than can be obtained from a few 
short visits, it is still some gratification to behold the 
place and the men. In the Court of King's Bench 
Lord Ellenborough was giving judgment in a cause ; 
his manner is perspicuous, simple, and unostentatious. 
The judges in this court wear those full flowing wigs, 
Wliich we see in their portraits ; the effect is rather lu- 
VOL. 1. 18 



A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS It^ 

dicrous than solemn, especially when the face is small 
and diminutive. 

Across the hall, is the Court of Chancery. We saw 
the chancellor, Lord Eldon. He is a man of a no- 
ble appearance, and, if his countenance be a true in- 
dex of his mind, well deserves his elevated station. In 
his person and features he is not unlike Judge Ells- 
worth of Connecticut. 

Sir James Mansfield is the chief judge of the court 
of common pleas. The costume of this court is a pur- 
ple silk robe with a white wig, close curled, not flow- 
ing over the shoulders. 

I have visited Westminster Hall a number of times 
with the hope of hearing Erskine, Gibbs, Garrow, or 
some other of their distinguished advocates, but I have 
not been so fortunate as to be present when they were 
speaking, nor have I heard any eloquent man in these 
courts. They are all crowded with lawyers, who, as 
you know, wear flowing black gowns, and wigs curled 
and powdered. As these gentlemen are generally flo- 
rid and fat, they have commonly an appearance which 
exhibits an odd contrast with this solemn dress. The 
courts of Westminster are miserably cramped in con- 
sequence of the smallness of the apartments, which are 
hardly competent to contain the courts and their offi- 
cers, without leaving room for suitors and spectators. 

Among the lawyers they pointed out one of the name 
of Best, It seems the dignity of the place does not 
preclude punning, for, this gentleman has a brother, 
also a lawyer, whom, from his being both younger and 
inferior, they call second Best. 

There is a great deal of dignity in these courts of 
Justice. No indecorum of manners is permitted, and 
the lawyers are^ as they ought every where to be, so 



ENGLANS) HOLLAND) ANB SCOTLAND. 207 

much under the influence and control of the courts, 
that they dare not trifle but always adhere strictly to 
the point. 

A BALLOON. 

On my way home from Westminster Hall, I stopped 
iit the Pantheon, to view a magnificent balloon vvhich 
is now getting ready there. Lunardi, a well known 
aeronaut, is to ascend in it, with a party of a dozen la- 
dies and gentlemen. They pay a high premium for the 
privilege of breathing among the clouds, and the chance 
of being killed philosophically. This balloon is orna- 
mented, in a very expensive style, and will probably 
cost enough to buy the finest equipage in Europe ; 
minds of a less ambitious cast would perhaps prefer the 
wheels and horses on the ground, to varnished silk, 
and inflammable gas, among the whirlwinds of heaven. 
This party are even more ambitious than aeronauts usu- 
ally arp 'j for they are not contented with building cas- 
tles in the air, they must even raise a Grecian temple 
there, as if by magic ; for, it is a part of the scheme of 
this balloon that, after it has ascended to a certain 
height, a festoon of curtains which has been suspended 
all around it, will suddenly unfold and hang in such a 
manner as to hide the balloon completely, and to re- 
present a Grecian temple with all its porticoes and co- 
lumns. 

The car of this balloon is a circular platform fur- 
nished with a dozen elegant chairs, secured in their 
places by an iron ring, which passes through their 
backs, and is itself supported by iron posts. In the 
middle is a table in which is a door that opens into 
convenient places for refreshments, philosophical in- 



20$ A JO¥RNAL ^E TRAVELS IN 

struments and other things necessary for the voyage. 
The car will be suspended as usual by a net-work of 
cords passing over the balloon, and fastened to the plat- 
form. A day in September is fixed on for the ascent, 
and, if I am at that time in London, you may expect 
to hear more of this great bubble, should it actually 
rise. 

TOWER HILL. 

June 23. — I took a walk this morning to Tower- 
Hill, which is situated near the Tower itself. It is 
not much of an eminence, but it has been rendered very 
conspicuous in English history, as the place where 
much noble blood has been spilt, under the hand of the 
executioner. The Earl of Essex, the favourite of 
Queen Elizabeth, Lord Russell, Lord Lovet, Ann Bo- 
lein, and the great Sir William Wallace, the assertor of 
the liberties of his country against the tyranny of Ed- 
ward the first, will occur to you among the multitude 
of other distinguished persons, whose blood has, at 
different periods, enriched this memorable spot. It is 
now a beautiful square, covered with verdure and en- 
closed by an iron railing. It has ceased to be a place 
of execution, and, if my recollection does not deceive 
me. Lord Lovet and his associates were the last vic- 
tims that suffered there, 

RAG FAIR.. 

June 24. — As I was going to the London Dock, this 
evening, with some companions, we passed through a 
great crowd of dirty ragged people, to the number of 
some hundreds. They appeared to be very busy in dis- 
playing and examining old clothes which they were 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 209 

pulling out from bags in which they were contained. 
This, I was informed, is rag fair. It is held here 
every evening for the sale of old clothes which are 
collected all over London, principally by Jews, who 
go about with bags on their shoulders, crying, with 
a peculiarly harsh guttural sound, clothes^ clothes^ old 
clothes. You will meet them in every street and al- 
ley in London, and at evening they repair to Wap- 
ping, where a grand display is made of every species of 
apparel in every stage of decay. Sometimes they are 
in tatters, and at other times merely soiled. Here peo- 
ple of the lower ranks may make a selection which is 
to them really very useful, and a poor coxcomb may 
deck himself in the cast-ofF finery of the London cock- 
neys. 

This is only one instance of a great system of similar 
transactions. There are shops in every part of London 
where a man may furnish himself with the most impor- 
tant articles of dress for a few shillings ; for instance, 
there are hundreds of boot and shoe stores, where these 
articles are sold of such rude workmanship and of such 
inferior materials that there are few who cannot buy, 
at least among those articles which are second hand. 
There is probably no place in the world where people 
of all conditions may consult their circumstances so 
effectually as in London. 

ANGLO ASIATICS AND AFRICANS. 
From the rag fair we went on board an Americaa 
6hip lying in the London docks. There we saw seve- 
ral children which have been sent, by the way of Ame-*" 
rica, from India to England, to receive an education, 
fhey are the descendants of European fathers and of 
18* 



210 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

Bengalee mothers, and are of course the medium be- 
tween the two, in colour, features and form. J men- 
tion this circumstance because the fact has become ex- 
tremely common. You will occasionally meet in the 
streets of London genteel young ladies, born in Eng- 
land, walking with their half-brothers, or more com- 
monly with their nephews, born in India, who possess, 
in a very strong degree, the black hair, small features, 
delicate form, and brown complexion of the native Hin- 
dus. These young men are received into society and 
take the rank of their fathers. I confess the fact struck 
me rather unpleasantly. It would seem that the pre- 
judice against colour is less strong in England than in 
America ; for, the few negroes found in this country, 
are in a condition much superior to that of their coun- 
trymen any where else. A black footman is consider- 
ed as a great acquisition, and consequently, negro ser- 
vants are sought for and caressed. An ill dressed or 
starving negro is never seen in England, and in some 
instances even alliances are formed between them and 
white girls of the lower orders of society. A few days 
since I met in Oxford-street a well dressed white girl 
who was of a ruddy complexion, and even handsome, 
walking arm in arm, and conversing very sociably, 
■with a negro man, who was as well dressed as she, and 
so black that his skin had a kind of ebony lustre. As 
there are no slaves in England, perhaps the English 
have not learned to regard negroes as a degraded class 
of men, as we do in the United States, where we have 
never seen them in any other eonditioK. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 211 



No. XXII— LONDON. 

Vauxhall gardens. ...Situation and extent... Splendidly illumi- 
nated... .Description. ...Amusements of the place. ..Music A 

mechanical panorama.. .Fire-works,. ..Dancing of courtezans. 

VAUXHALL GARDENS. 

In the Gveningj I went with a party of Americans to 
Vauxhall gardens. They are situated about a mile 
and a half from London, on the south of Lambeth, on 
the Surry side of the river. The gardens cover a num- 
ber of acres, the whole surface is perfectly smooth, 
free from grass, and rolled hard. Avenues of lofty 
trees are planted every where, and the confines are fil- 
led with shrubs. I came to the gardens with the im- 
pression that I was about to see something excelling 
all other splendid objects which I had hitherto beheld. 
Nor was I disappointed. For, as we entered, a scene 
presented itself splendid beyond description, ancj al- 
most beyond conception, exceeding all that poets have 
told of fairy lands and Elysian fields. 

From the trees, even to their very tops and extre- 
mities, from the long arched passages, open at the sides 
and crossing each other in geometrical figures, from 
the alcoves and recesses which surround the whole, and 
from the orchestra and pavilions, such afiood of bright- 
ness was poured out from ten thousand lamps, whose 
flames were tinged with every hue of light, and which 
were disposed in figures, exhibiting at once all that is 
beautiful in regularity, and all that is fascinating ip the 
arrangements of taste and fancy — that one might almost 



212 A JOtTRNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

have doubted whether it were not a splendid illusioa 
which imagination was playing off upon his senses. Do 
not suspect me of exaggeration, for, what I have now 
■written can give you but a faint idea of this abode of 
pleasure. 

The arched passages to which I just now alluded, 
cross the gardens at right angles with each other, and 
yet, not in such a manner as to obscure the trees. In 
the recesses which bound the gardens on several sides, 
and also beneath the trees, tables are placed, furnished 
with cold collations, confectionaries and other refresh- 
ments. Transparent paintings rendered conspicuous^ 
by lights behind them, terminate several of the avenues, 
and all the arbours and walks are painted in a splendid 
manner. 

The rotunda is a magnificent room } it is finely 
painted, its walls are covered with mirrors and gild- 
ing, and two of the principal arched passages cross 
each other here. The flags of several nations are 
suspended within, accompanied by paintings charac- 
teristic of the several countries. 

The orchestra is erected nearly in the centre of the 
gardens. It is in the form of a Grecian temple ; the 
second story is open in front, and there the musicians 
are placed. 

About 10 o'clock, thousands of well dressed people 
thronged the gardens. The first entertainment con- 
sisted of vocal and instrumental music from the or- 
chestra, and then a noble company of musicians, in 
number about thirty, most splendidly dressed, and 
known by the name of the Duke of York's band, 
performed in a yery superior style. The orchestra 
itself is one of the most beautiful objects that can be 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 213 

• 

imagined. It is a Grecian temple of no mean size, 
and it is illuminated with such a profusion of lamps 
arranged in the lines of the building that its appearance 
is extremely splendid. These lamps are simple in their 
form but very beautiful in their effect. They are 
somewhat spherical, open at the top and suspended by 
a wire. The wick floats in the oil, and the whole forms 
a little illuminated ball. 

The entrance to the gardens presents you with dou- 
ble rows of these lamps arranged in perpendicular 
lines on the pillars, and then with other rows, corres- 
ponding with the form of the roof of the arched pas- 
sage' under which you enter. Along the concave of 
this roof, extending a great way into the gardens, other 
lamps are suspended so as to represent the starry 
heavens. Conceive farther, that these lamps are thus 
disposed in every part of the garden, in very various 
and beautiful forms, among the trees and green leaves, 
in the alcoves, recesses, and orchestra, and that some 
are green, others red, otiiers blue, &c. thus transmit- 
ting rays of these colours only, and you may then form 
some idea of the gardens of Vauxhall. 

Our little party in the gardens was under the direc- 
tion of an American captain, who was familiar with 
the place. As soon as the band had finished perform- 
ing, he told us to run after him, which we did with all 
possible speed, as we saw every body running that 
way, although we knew not why. Having reached the 
end of one of the arched passages, the captain, in 
language perfectly professional told us to haul our 
wind and lay our course for the fence. This Me did, 
and the mystery was soon explained. For, down in 
a dark wood, we perceived a curtain rise, which dis- 
covered London bridge, and the water-works under it 



•^14 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

nearly as large as the original. The scene was pro- 
duced by a combination of painting and mechanism. 
An old woman was sitting and spinning at the foot of 
the bridge ; the mail and heavy coach passed over into 
town, and a fierce bull followed driving before him an 
ass. The thing was very well done, and it v/as at once 
so odd, unexpected and puerile, that it afforded us 
more diversion than a fine strain of wit could have 
done. 

After this exhibition there was music again from the 
orchestra. 

It was now past eleven o'clock, and the bell rung 
for the iire-works. Th^se were exhibited from the 
bottom of a long dark avenue, terminated by a grove. 
They were very splendid, and, as the night was un- 
commonly dark, they produced their full effect. It 
is impossible to give any adequate idea of them by de- 
scription. 

After the fire-works there was an intermission^ 
while every body that was disposed sat down to the 
Gold collation. Our party had engaged a table in one 
of the boxes, as they are called. They are, in fact, 
little apartments without doors, closed on three sides, 
and opening into the gardens. I was now no longer at 
a loss for the meaning or propriety of the proverbial 
expression, a Fauxhall slice ; for the ham was shaved 
so thin, that it served rather to excite than to allay the 
appetite. ^Ve sat, until the music, beginning again, 
animated the company to new feats. 

Beside the musicians in the orchestra, several other 
bands now appeared in different parts of the gardens, 
seated on elevated platforms, railed in, and covered 
with splendid canopies. Music now broke out from 
various quarters, and a new entertainment was opened 
to the company. The assemblies in these gardens al« 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 216 

ways include a crowd of genteel people, among whom 
are, frequently, some of the nobility, and, occasionally, 
even the king and queen and royal family appear at 
Vauxhall. 

But, in addition to these, no small part of the crowd 
is composed of courtezans. They are of that class 
who dress genteely, and whose manners are less inde- 
corous than is usual with persons of their character. 
The renewal of the music was, it seems, a signal ^^^r 
them to commence dancing. This they did in several 
groups in various parts of the gardens, and the young 
men readily joined them. There was among these 
dancing females a large share of beauty and elegance, 
and some of them could not have been more than fif- 
teen or sixteen years of age. Their manners and modes 
of dancing, while they were not so gross as necessarily 
to excite disgust, were such as I ought not to describe. 
I can hardly believe what I heard asserted, that some 
respectable ladies, of more than common vivacity, and 
less than common reflection, occasionally, in a Irolic, 
mix in these dances. However this may be, it is cer- 
tain that both ladies and gentlemen, and little misses 
and masters, are always spectators of these scenes, 
and I saw numerous instances where young men would 
leave ladies who were under their care, and join the 
dances, and then return to their friends again. 

This scene continued till half after one o'clock in the 
morning, when our party came away, and I was told 
that it would probably continue till three o'clock. 

The new day had dawned when I reached home ; I 
Was much fatigued, and went to bed with a violent 
headach, and completely disgusted with a place, 
which, although superlatively elegant, is, I am con- 
vinced, a most successful school of corruption. 



216 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 



No. XXIII.—LONDON. 

House of Commons....Inconveniences to which spectators are 
subjected....Conversation with a member ...Rotten boroughs 

....Debate on the army. ...Col. C ...Mr. Pitt....Lord 

Castlereagh....Wlndham's retort courteous. ..Mr. Fox... 
Sheridan.. ..Association of jdeas,...Ceremonies and customs. 

HOUSE OF COMMONS. 

At a dinner, a few days since, I was introduced t© 
two members of the House of Commons, who were 
so kind as to mention this day to jne as one that would 
probably produce debates in their body with which a 
stranger w^ould be gratified. One of these gentlemen 
§avG me a good seat in the gallery, as he had offered to 
do when I saw him before. Strangers are not admitted 
on to the floor of the house, unless they are foreign 
ministers, or, are specially permitted, and the gallery 
therefore affords the only opportunity of seeing the 
House of Coniraous. The introduction of a member 
secures you a seat gratis ; otherwise a douceur is paid 
to the door-keeper, from half a crown to half a guinea, 
according as the occasion is more or less interesting. 
The gallery is so small that it will not hold more than 
150 or 200 people, and I should think not even so 
many. Whenever an important debate is expected, it 
becomes necessary therefore to go to the House Yery 
early in order to secure a seat ; the gallery is some- 
times occupied by seven o'clock A. M. and the House 
does not open till four o'clock P. M. All this tedious 
while the spectators may be obliged to wait, and then, 
in all probability, the greater part of the night will 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 217 

be engrossed by the debate. After you have once 
taken your seat, you must actually occupy it all the 
time, or you are considered as rellnqui^shing it. The 
hat however is allowed to be an adequate representa- 
tive of its owner, and by leaviui^ this in |our place, 
you may reclaim it after having been out. 

As the House was not yet assembled, the member 
who had given me a place in the gallery, was so 
obliging as to sit down and entertain me with his re- 
marks upon parliamentary affairs. In the course of 
his observations, he took notice of the old subject of 
rotten boroughs. He thought that they v\ere by no 
means so bad a part of the body politic as had been 
imagined, for, through them, generals, admirals, cler- 
gymen, merchants, and, in short, men of every pro- 
fession, could gain admittance to the House of Com- 
mons, and thus bring their professional knowledge to 
a place where it is much wanted, not to mention that 
an opportunity was thus afforded them, by their per- 
, sonal vigilance, to take effectual care of the rights of 
their respective professions. In the elecfions by coun- 
ties and towns, it seems that it is usual to send up some 
person locally settled among those wh(> elect him, but, 
in the borough elections, any man, residing even in the 
remotest part of the kingdom, may set himself up, or, 
(which is the more common course) his friends may 
do it for him. As the election is generally under the 
control of a few men, who have become possi^sscd 
of the freeholds, to which the right of election was, 
by the charters of kings, originally granted, it is not 
a very difficult thing to become, through them, a mem- 
ber of the House of Commons. * The gentleman with 
whom I was conversing, was a member from Cornwall. 
VOL* I, 19 



218 A JOlJRNAL OF TRAVELS Iff 

It was not quite four o'clock, when Mr. Abbo^ the 
Speaker, came in. After a short religious service, the 
Speaker counted the members present, and when forty 
had appeared, he took the chair. I was inform*^, that 
if forty do not appear at four o'clock, the Speaker in- 
stantly adjourns the House till the next d^y. 

The House of Commons sit in St. Stephen's Chapel, 
which they have occupied ever since the reign of Ed- 
ward VI. This apartment is connected with West- 
minster Hall, so that, in passing from the one to the 
other, there is no necessity of going out of doors. 

The room occupied by the House of Commons is 
merely neat ; it has no appearance of splendor, and 
is really unequal to the dignity of this great nation. 
The principal objection to it is in point of size, for it is 
much too small for the accommodation of more than 
six hundred members. But, they are never all present. 
The side galleries are fittedvpp for the use of the mem- 
bers, and it is only the gallery at the end of the House 
which is devoted to stranger^. The floors are covered 
with carpets, and the seats with green cloth, besides a 
matting or cushions. 

I shall not, on this occasion, act as stenographer to 
the House. I will mention only a few facts. Many 
topics of little importance occupied the earlier hours 
of the night. That which had been expressly assigned 
for discussion at this time, and which excited the most 
lively interest, was brought forward by a celebrated 
military man, under the form of a motion to inquire 
into the state of the army. It was said that he had 
been a long time preparing for this attack on Mr. Pitt, 
and he now made it in form, in two laboured speeches, 
supported by m'liuites, statements, and documents. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 219 

F -yoke about two hours aud a half. His remarks 
were pointed against the minister personally, and he 
attr'Vuted the embarrassments of the country to his 
m; c*c*minis{ration. Many other members spoke on 
the occasion, and most of them with no great ability. 

Col. C is said to be a brave man and an excellent 

soldier, but he is a very incompetent person to attack 
the Chancellor of the Exchequer. At the very moment 
when you are prepared, by a formal exordium, to ex- 
pect at least a formal conclusion, in which the burden 
of the complaint shall be brought forth, he hesitates, 
stutters, and repeats ; he fails in the very crisis of the 
sentence, and leaves you only to wonder how one who 
performs so little, should have promised so much. 

I hoped that Mr. Pitt would have spoken on this 
subject, but he did not deign to reply. When Col. 

C alluded to him personally, which he often did, 

he only shook his head occasionally, or smiled con- 
temptuously. This irritated the orator, who even 
noticed in his speech, that the honourable gentleman 
smiled. 

Lord Castlereagh, from Ireland, replied to Col. 

C with much perspicuity, correctness, and ability, 

and proved himself a superior man. 

He was answered by Windham, who, with great 
fluency and wit, made the noble lord blush and the 
House laugh. It had been urged by the opposition, 
that the regular arnu' ought to be increased, so as to 
be competent to meet the invasion, without relying 
upon the volunteers, who, they asserted, could not be 
depended upon. To this, Lord Castlereagh replied, 
that the experiment had not been pursued far enough ; 
(hey could not as yet say it would not answer ; — they 
ougjitto try the volunteer system longer. 



220 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

Windham retorted, that the noble lord's argument 
was like that of the apothecary, who, when his pa- 
tients came and complained that his quack medicine 
did no good, used to tell them — try it again ! try it 
again I 

Although Mr. Pitt remained silent with respect to 
the motion on the state of the army, I had the pleasure, 
of hearing this great man speak a few minutes on a 
petition which he handed in. There was nothing in 
the subject which called for a display of eloquence ; 
he made simply a statement of facts, but this served to 
identify his voice and manner. In his person he is tall 
and spare ; he has small limbs with large knees and 
feet ; his features are sharp ; his nose large, pointed, 
and turning up ; his complexion sanguine ; his voice 
deep-toned and commanding, yei sweet and perfectly 
well modulated, and his whole presence, notwithstand- 
ing the want of symmetry in his limbs, is, when he 
rises to speak, full of superiority and conscious dignity. 
I had a distinct view of him for six hours, during 
which time he sat directly before me. His dress was a 
blue coat with metallic buttons, a white vest, black satin 
breeches, and white silk stockings, with large buckle^ 
in his shoes. His hair was powdered. Nothwithstand- 
ing the violence of the opposition, and their having 
been so long accustomed to his voice, when he rose, the 
House became so quiet, that a whisper might have been 
heard from any part. 

Mr. Fox was also present. His person is very lusty. 
His neck is short, — his head large, round, and now 
quite grey, — his chest is broad and prominent, and his 
body and limbs vast and corpulent, even for England. 
His complexion is dark, — his features large — eyes blue, 
close together, and of uncommon size, and his whole 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 221 

appearance peculiar, noble, and commanding. His 
hair was not powdered ; — he wore a blue coat, with 
buff cassimere under dress, and white silk stockings. 

I saw him in numerous situations, for he seamed 
very uneasy, and changed his place many times ; he 
walked about — went out and came in — went up gallery 
and down, and was almost constantly in motion. He 
spoke a few minutes on a petition from a person im- 
prisoned in Ireland for treason. His remarks were 
"very pertinent to the case ; his manner flowing, easy^ 
and natural, but without the dignity and impressiveness 
of Pitt. He stood leaning forward, as if going up hill, 
and his fists were clenched and thrust into his waistcoat 
pockets. The caricatures both of him and of Mr. Pitt 
are very correct, with the usual allowance for the ex; 
travagance of this kind of prints. 

Sheridan, so celebrated for his speech at the trial- 
of Warren Hastings, was in the house, and spoke oa 
a question connected Mith the whale fishery. His. 
language flows with great facility. 

While present within these walls, which have heard 
so often the thunder of the elder Pitt and of Burke, I 
associated the memory of these great men with the very 
«eats and pannels, and it was no unnatural emplo)'ment 
for an American to revert to that period when, in this 
place, were voted those armies which ravaged our coun. 
try, and when, on this floor, a general of one of those 
armies made his eloquent defence for snrrendenng his 
sword to rebch. 

The general appearance of the House was very simi- 
lar to that of American legislative assemblies. They 
liave a custom of crying out hear I hear \ when any 
riling is said to which they wish to call the atteniion 
of the House ; sometimes this word is vociferated from 
19 * 



222 A JOURNAL OP TRATELS UT 

SO many at once, as entirely to drown the orator's 
Toice. 

The Speaker takes the opinion of the House in this 
form — " as many as are of this opinion say aye '."— 
'^ contrary opinions say no I"— .and then the result is 
declared thus : " the ayes have it, or, the noes have 
it," according as one or the other party prevails. The 
members all wear their hats. They have no pay for 
their attendance ; the inducement is derived from the 
honour and the influence which a seat in Parliament 
confers. It follows almost necessarily that the mem- 
bers must be men of fortune. 

The Speaker directs the galleries to be cleared, by 
saying " strangers withdraw !" This he utters with 
a very loud voice, and the first time I heard the man- 
date I was disposed to obey it instantly. But I was 
surprised to see with what indifference it was received. 
Sometimes it was totally disregarded, and the specta- 
tors retained their seats, and they were never cleared 
till the command was vehemently repeated. We were 
driven out a number of times in the course of the 
debate,and it was always extremely unpleasant, because 
the stairs and doors leading to the gallery were very 
narrow, and a. violent contest invariably ensued for pre- 
cedency the moment the doors were opened. 

There are coffee-rooms under the same roof with 
the House of Commons, and private passages leading 
into them through which the members often retire to 
refresh tliemselves. Some of the members prefer these 
lounging places to the hot air of the House, and are 
often found here over a comfortable supper, while 
patriots are spending their breath in vain, to convince 
tho^e \?]io are more attracted by coffee and beef steaks. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 223 

than by the charms of eloquence. It was now between 
midnight and one o'clock in the morning; — the fatigue 
and bad air had given me a violent headach, and 1 re- 
tired to get a cup of tea ; not knowing that the cof- 
fee-rooms were reserved for the members alone, I was 
going into one, when I was stopped b} an inquiry 
whether I was member of Parliament. As I could not 
answer in the affirmative, 1 was obliged to take my tea 
in the lobby. 

I walked home alone without meeting any adven- 
ture, and indeed, if 1 may judge from my own obser- 
vation during the short period that 1 have been here, 
I^ondon is as safe by night as a village. 



No. XXIV.— LONDON. 

A private party.... Mr. Grevillc. ..Descended from Lord Brook 
....Lord Brook's death... .Mr. Watt. ...Sir Joseph Banks' con- 
versatione.... Sir Joseph. ...Major Rennel....His opinion of the 
changes of the English language in America. ...Dr. Wollas- 
ton. ... Dr. Tooke....Dah'ymple,... Windham, &.c....No ceremony 
....Sir Joseph's public breakfast.. ..Anecdote of a Frenchman. 

A PRIVATE PARTY. 

June 30. — I dined to-day at Paddington Green, 
with Mr. Greville. 

Mr. Greville is a son of the late and brother of the 
present Earl of Warwick ; he is the nephew and heir 
of the late Sir William Hamilton, so well known by his 
long residence in Italy, and by the collection of Etrus- 
can vases with which be enriched the British Museum. 



224 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

Mr. G- is one of the King's Privy Council, and is 

well known to the scientific world by his exertions to 
promote the study of mineralogy, in which department 
of natural knowledge he possesses perhaps the best 
private collection in Europe. He informed me that he 
is descended from Lord Brook, who, with Lord Say, 
founded Saybrook at the mouth of Connecticut river. 
This Lord Brook was slain, in a singular manner, at 
the battle of Litchfield during the civil wars, by one 
Dyot, a dumb man, who was remarkably skilled in. 
shooting. Lord Brook was standing at a great dis- 
tance with his vizor thrown up ; I think it was said 
that he was standing in the door of a house, when some 
one pointed him out to Dyot, and the latter aimed with 
such fatal accuracy, that he shot him through one eye. 
His armour is still shewn in Warwick Castle. 

At Mr. Greville's, among several gentlemen of sci- 
ence, I had the pleasure of meeting a man whom f 
have long contemplated with admiration. I mean Mr, 
Watt of Birmingham, one of the greatest philosophers 
of the present day, the particular friend and associate 
of Dr. Black, and the great improver, I had almost 
said inventor, of the steam engine and of its most im- 
portant applications. He is a venerable man of 70 or 
more, but perfectly erect in his person and dignified in 
his manners. He was very aiFablcvand appeared to be 
almost equally at home on every subject, whether it 
were mineralogy, chemistry, history, antiquities, or 
the fine arts. Among men of accomplished minds and 
the most amiable and polished manners, it was impos- 
sible that time should not pass pleasantly and use- 
fully. 

We returned into London on foot, and Mr. Watt, 
having learned my views in visiting England, was good 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 225 

enough to direct my attention to a number of interest- 
ing objects in different parts of the kingdom ; as we 
passed along through the environs, and the more re- 
cent streets of Westminster, he pointed out some of the 
remarkable changes which London has undergone 
within his own recollection. I was surprised to learn 
from him that so large a part of Westminster is newly 
built ; indeed it looks like a comparatively recent 
town ; the houses are in the modern style; the streets 
are spacious and clean, and it is free from any appear- 
ance of decay and ruin. 

SIR JOSEPH BANKS' CON VERS ATIONE. 

There are a number of literary assemblies in Lon- 
don, for the purpose of conversation, where a stranger 
has a better opportunity than he can enjoy in any other 
way, of seeing the distinguished men of the metropo- 
lis, and of forming an estimate of the English charac- 
ter in its most improved, intelligent, and polished form. 
The most distinguished of these meetings is held at Sir 
Joseph Banks', and I found that the gentlemen with 
wliom I was walking, were going to attend it. When 
Mr. Watt inquired whether i had been introduced at 
this meeting, 1 informed him that I had supposed my- 
self precluded from calling bn Sir Joseph Banks, as I 
had left a letter of introduction with my card, on my 
first arrival in London, and had never heard any thing 
farther on the subject. He assured me that it would be 
perfectly in order to call again, as Sir Joseph, in con- 
sequence of the numerous demands on his time, was, 
by the universal consent of society, excused from the 
common obligations of civility with respect to return- 
ing visits and sending invitations, and every stranger 
who had been introduced to him wus expected to call 



226 A JOURNAL Oy TRAVELS IN 

again as a matter of course. I had learned the same 
thin^, a day or two before, from a friend, and had ac- 
eidentally heard that inquiry had been made by Sir Jo- 
seph "whether I had called. I was therefore very hap- 
py to put myself under Mr. Watt's patronage, and to 
accept the oiler which he kindly made to introduce me. 

My reception was such as to make me regret that my 
mistake had not been sooner corrected, and every em- 
barrassment was removed by the courteous behaviour 
of this celebrated man. 

Sir Joseph Banks is verging toward old age; he is 
now afiiicted with the gout, and from this cause, is so 
lame as to walk stooping with the aid of a staff. His 
head is perfectly white, his person tall and large, and 
his whole appearance commanding though mild and 
conciliating- From his being President of the Royal 
Society, and from his having been long distinguished 
by active and zealous exertions to promote the cause of 
sftience, especially of the various departments of natu- 
ral history^ he has become, by common consent, a kind 
of monarch over these intellectual dominions. We 
found Sir Joseph in his library, surrounded by a crowd 
of the literati, politicians, and philosophers of London. 
These constitute his court, and they would not disho- 
nour the King himself. "Mr. Watt was so good as to 
make me easy in this assembly, by introducing me to 
such of the gentlemen present as I had a curiosity to 
converse with. 

Major Rennel is probably the first geographer liv- 
ing. In Asiatic geography particularly he has distin- 
guished himself very much, and has given the v/orld an 
excellent map of Hindustan. 

The geographical illustrations at the end of Park's 
Travels in Africa were written by him. 



ENGLANDj HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 227 

Although few men have equally veil founded cloims 
to superiority, no niai) indicates iess disposition to ar- 
rogate it than Major Rennel. His manners are per- 
fectly modest, and so mild and gentle, that he makes 
even a stranger his friend. He thought that notwith- 
standing the efforts of the French to make their lan- 
guage the polite tongue of Europe, the English would 
ultimately become the most prevalent laijguagr in the 
■world. This he inferred from the immense countries 
in Asia and America which were already settled or fast 
settling with English people. While conversing on 
this subject, he uttered the following extraordinary 
seudraent. He said, that the Amer^icans had improved 
the Knglish language^ hi) the introduction of some 
Tjsords and phrases vcrjj energetic and concise^ instead 
of diffuse circumlocution. To my remark that his sen- 
timents were much more favourable to us than those 
of the English reviewers, he replied that tiiey were 
not always the most candid men. 

Among other distinguished men who were present 
was Dr. AVollaston, a chemical philosopher of emi- 
nence, and Secretary of (he Royal Society ; Dr. Tooke, 
the historian of Catharine of Russia ; Mr. Cavendish, 
who has done as much towards establishing the modern 
chemistry as any man living; Dalr^mple, the marine 
geographer ; Windham, the Parliamentary orator ; 
and Lord Macartney, famous for his embassy to China. 

Beside these there were many others among those 
who have distinguished themselves in science, politics, 
or literature, and whom it was gratifying to a stranger 
to see. 

In this assembly the most perfect ease of manners 
prevailed ; there was no ceremony of any kind. They 



228 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

came and departed when they pleased, without disturb- 
ing any body, and those present sat or stood, or walk- 
ed or read, or conversed or remained silent, at plea- 
sure. Eating and drinking formed no part of the en- 
tertainment. 

Every person who has been introduced to Sir Joseph 
Banks is at liberty to breakfast at his house at 10 
o'clock, and to frequent his librar)^ and museum at any 
time between that hour and 4 o'clock P. M. every 
day in the week except Sunday. I shall doubtless 
avail myself of the privilege of the library frequently, 
although I ma)^ not perhaps make so much use of the 
breakfasts as a French loyalist is said to have done. 

This man, having fled from the guillotine in France, 
found access at Sir Joseph Banks', and met that libe- 
ral reception which is known to characterize the house. 
Having understood that a public breakfast was ready 
every morning, at which Sir Joseph was always happy 
to see his friends, he construed the invitation in the 
most literal and extensive sense, and actually took up 
his board there for one meal a day, and came to break- 
fast regularly, till the sly looks and meaning shrugs of 
the servants taught him that in England, as well as ia 
Ifrance, more is often said than is meant. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 229 



No. XXV —LONDON. 

Brompton Garden... .Chelsea Garden. .Chelsea Hospital. ..Beau- 
ty of the grounds.., Veterans Smugglers of Cambric 

Strangers easily distinguished in London ..Mendicants very 
numerous in London.. ..Refuge for ihe destitute. ..Inadequacy 
of the relief afforded by public and private charity.... A suc- 
cessful beggar.. ..Soldiers and sailors. 

BROMPTON AND CHELSEA GARDENS. 

July 1.— With a companion I walked out this 
morning, to the Botanical Gardens at Brompton, a 
mile and a half from Hyde Paik corner. These are 
the gardens which were cultivated by the late Mr. 
Curtiss, a man distinguished for his botanical know- 
ledge, and well known to the public by the Botanical 
Magazine which he conducted, adorned with very beau- 
tiful coloured engravings. His Lectures are now pub- 
lished, with botanical prints, so perfectly done, that 
they look absolutely like living flowers and plants. I 
visited the gardens with a particular view to ascertain 
whether they would be of use to me in looking a little 
into the elements of botany, to which I wish to devote 
some attention this summer. I find that by paying one 
guinea, I shall be entitled to visit them at pleasure, 
and to make use of a botanical library which is kept in 
the garden, and of the conveniences for study which it 
affords. I think I shall sometimes make it an after- 
noon's retreat during the warm weather, for, what can 
be a more grateful refreshment than to exchange the 
dreary walls and pavements — the steams— the noise, 
and the universal scramble of London, for the quiet, 
VOL. I. 20 



230 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

the fragrance, the beauty, and the instruction of the 
Gardens of Brompton. 

Wishing to compare these gardens with those at 
Chelsea, we walked half a mile farther to them. We 
found that they belong to a company of apothecaries 
in London, and are confined to the promotion of their 
particular views, and are of course less accessible than 
those at Brompton. They are said to be arranged 
upon scientific principles and to be more correct in this 
particular than the other garden, A botanical garden 
scarcely admits of interesting description. It ought 
to be seen and examined in order to be understood. 
We saw here a cork tree in actual growth, the appear- 
ance of the surface is extremely rough. Here were 
also the tea plant of China and two fine cedars of Le- 
banon, 150 years old. 

CHELSEA HOSPITAL. 

In (his excursion we visited Chelsea hospital, erect- 
ed by Charles IL for the reception of soldiers worn 
out, or disabled, in the service of their country. The 
number of pensioners at this time is about 500 ; the 
out pensioners are 10,000, and they receive each twelve 
pounds a year. 

The grounds connected with Chelsea hospital cover 
about forty acres. The front of this hospital extends 
about 800 feet, it is constructed of brick, and makes a 
handsome appearance. 

Nothing can exceed the beauty of the grounds about 
this hospital. It stands on the Thames, and every ru- 
ral beauty, formed by avenues of trees and green fields, 
is heightened by gravelled walks and appropriate sta- 
tues. I mean to describe raerelj' the impressions 
which I received, for, I am well aware that the gar- 



EN6LAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 231 

dens are considered as being laid out in bad taste, be- 
cause the lines are straight, yet avenues of trees and 
verdant fields will ever be beautiful. 

We were in the dining-hall when they were laying 
the tables for the veterans of Chelsea hospital. Many 
of them are hoary and bowed down with years. Here 
they repose, till the king of terrors shall steal silently 
to their beds, without the pomp and noise of battle, 
and the murderous weapons of war. My time did not 
permit me to gratify the strong curiosity which I felt 
to inquire into the private history of individuals ; to 
learn what " hair breadth escapes" each one had met 
with, " in the imminent deadly breach," and to lead 
him, insensibly, to forget the decripitude of age and 
wounds — kindle with the recollection of former deeds, 
and " shoulder his crutch and show how fields were 
won." 

But, the life of a common soldier is, in every part of 
it, deplorable. His pay is a song, his service is se- 
vere, his privations great, his dangers frequent and im- 
minent, his death undistinguished and unlamented, 
and, if he survive, his old age is dependant, vacant 
and miserable. 

SMUGGLERS OF CAMBRIC. 

July 2. — About a week since, as I was returning 
home from the strand, a short fat man, in a scarlet 
waistcoat, addressed me in this style -, "young gentle- 
man — sir — your honour !" So many titles, in such ra- 
pid succession, made me stop short, when he put his 
mouth to my ear, and said in a low voice ; " I have 
got some nice French cambric, will you buy ? I an- 
swered no 1 and walked on. To-day, while I was 
passing rapidly along Holborn, a fellow singled me 



232 A JOURNAL OP TRAVELS IN 

out with his eye, and after following me a few paces 
through the crowd, said with a low, cautious voice, 
'' sir, sir, will you buy a little French cambric ? I 
have some very fine." I trust you will not wonder if 
I answered no! very petulantly; for, what, thought 1, 
is there in my appearance which makes these fellows 
teaze me to buy French cambric. They were undoubt- 
edly smugglers of that article, and had either evaded 
or defied the laws of the country, for both are con- 
stantly practised. 

It is surprising how soon rogues of all descriptions 
will distinguish a stranger in London. Concerning 
the multitudes who, on ihe'ir first arrival in this metro- 
polis, saunter through the streets, staring at every red 
lion and golden eagle over a shop door, there is indeed 
no wonder that all should mark them for strangers. 
But, let even a man who has been accustomed to large 
towns in other countries, come to London, and dress 
himself in the strictest fashion of the day, and from the 
shops of English taylors, let him walk fast through 
the streets, as if he neither saw any body, nor cared 
for any thing, let him even strut and look brave and 
knowing, like a Londoner, still the rogues and beg- 
gars will find him out. The former will track him ia 
crowds and assail his pockets, and the latter will pur- 
sue him in the streets, and supplicate his compassion 
till they have received a six-pence, and then pour bles- 
sings upon his head till he is out of hearing. 

MENDICANTS. 

July 3.— As I was reading in my apartment this 
afternoon, I heard a female voice in the street, saying, 
in atone of anguish, "O! for heaven's sake, have 
compassion on a poor distressed woman !" This peti- 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 233 

tion for charity was addressed to a servant of the house 
who happened to be at the door. 

The number of beggars in the streets of London is 
very great ; in some streets they occur every few steps, 
and among them is a very large proportion of old wo- 
men, and a considerable number of young women with 
infants in their arms. When I have bestowed a trifle 
upon them, I have sometimes heard Englishmen say, 
'' O these people are impostors — dont mind them, they 
make a trade of it." This may be, in some instances 
true, and probably is; butjwhen one sees age, decrepi- 
tude, rags, emaciation and extreme dejection, and that 
in a woman, compassion will be awakened, especially 
when a wretched mother carries her starving infant in 
her arms. 

It is said that the institutions of the country are suf- 
ficient to provide for these people. Why then, are 
they not provided for, and if, as is asserted, they pre- 
fer a life of vagrancy, to the wholesome provisions of 
a public charity, why does not the police take them up, 
and oblige them to receive relief in a regular way, and 
to make what remuneration they can by their labour. 

But, there is reason to believe, that most of them 
are really the wretches whom they appear to be, and 
that the charge of imposture so constantly urged against 
them, is too frequently a refuge of selfishness, which is 
penurious when poverty and suflfering plead, but pro- 
fuse when pleasure calls. 

Street charity is undoubtedly injurious, when it is 
frequent, because it encourages vagrancy ; but the 
truth seems to be, that the high price of provisions, 
want of character and friends, and the very incompe- 
tent wages of people who have no trade, make much 
real suffering in London. 
20* 



234 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

As a proof that these are not the erroneous impres- 
sions of a stranger, whose opportunities for observa- 
tion have been necessarily limited, I vrill mention a 
fact in point. I was present, not long ago, at a din- 
ner in London, where were some of the most active 
promoters of a new humane institution called 

THE REFUGE OF THE DESTITUTE. 

They gave me their prospectus, from which the fol- 
lowing is an extract. 

" The object which this society have in view, is to 
provide places of refuge, for persons discharged from 
prison, or the hulks, unfortunate and deserted females, 
and others, who, from loss of character, or extreme 
indigence, cannot procure an * honest maintenance 
though willing to work." 

" When it is considered that thousands in this me- 
tropolis subsist by dishonest practices, whilst some, it 
is much to he feared, perish from want^ hefoie paro- 
chial relief can be obtained ; an undertaking tending 
to remove such evils, cannot fail to receive the most 
general patronage and support," &c. 

That thousands do suffer here " though willing to 
work," and that some do " perish from want," there 
can be no doubt. 

You will see these wretched beings sunk down in 
the streets — under the eves of the houses — on the steps 
of doors, or against the corners, apparently asleep, but 
there is much reason to believe, that they are, in some 
instances, finding a refuge forever, from hunger, and 
the repulse of pride, pleasure and affluence ; that re- 
fuge where the wicked cease from troubling and the 
weary are at rest. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, ANB SCOTLAND. 235 

I am not insensible of the glorious pre-eminence 
which this country holds above all others, in the num- 
ber and magnitude of its charitable institutions, nor 
am I ignorant of the unparalleled extent of private mu- 
nificence; but, still, there is something wrong where 
things are thus, and these humane Englishmen who are 
founding the refuge for the destitute, have proved that 
they think so too. 

Another considerable class of beggars in London, 
consists of those who have lost some of their organs. 

There is an unfortunate man whom I pass frequent- 
ly in Holborn, whose lower limbs have been amputat- 
ed, close to his body, so that he has neither legs nor 
thighs. He sits upon a little sled, to which he is fas- 
tened by straps, and moves himself by crutches, rais- 
ing the sled with himself at every effort. But he is the 
most successful beggar in London, and that because he 
never begs. He merely sits upon his sled, with his 
hat in his hand, but never solicits charity even by a 
look. His case however speaks eloquently, and such 
has been his success that (as report says) he has lately 
given a daughter in marriage with a portion of several 
hundred pounds. His case is altogether singular, and 
has no analogy with those which are the subjects of 
these remarks. 

It is a very common thing here to meet those who 
have lost a leg or an arm, and, at present, considera- 
ble numbers of soldiers who lost their eyes in the 
Egyptian expedition are begging their bread in the 
streets of London. This misfortune befel multitudes 
of them, in the burning deserts of Egypt and Syria, 
from the reflection of heat and light, and the blowing 
of the fine sand into their eyes by the hot winds ; or 
from the Egyptian opthalmia. I know not why they 



?36 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

are suffered to beg, for, surely, government ought td 
take care of thera. 

Sailors frequently hobble through the middle of the 
streets on crutches, singing, in concert, to old Eng. 
land's glory^ and soliciting, too often in vain, old 
England'' s charity. 

There is a fellow who has taken his station in the 
street leading to the parliament house, and attracts at- 
tention by drawing curious figures on the flat stones^ 
with red and white chalk, and inscribing there the sto- 
ry of his misfortunes, or some moving sentiment. 

These things strike me with double force, when 
contrasted with the splendor, the voluptuousness, the 
ingenious luxury, and the unbounded profusion of the 
fashionable world, who might find nobler pleasures in 
relieving distress and providing for honest but suffer- 
ing poverty. 

July 4. — The thermometer stood to-day at 82^, 
which is high in this climate ; the heat was the more 
oppressive, because the prevailing weather this sum- 
mer has been thus far, very cold, even for England. 



No. XXVI.— LONDON. 

Illumination with inflammable gas. ...Its beauty....Nature of the 
contrivance.. ..The royal society,... A picture gallery.. .Ban- 
ner's daughter.... A hunting piece.... Joseph and Potiphar's 
wife.... Attempt to delineate Jehovah. 

ILLUMINATION WITH GAS. 

I had been with a companion into Hyde Park, to see 
the serpentine canal, and the flock of swans which are 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 237 

suffered to swim unmolested upon it, when, on our 
return, through Picadilly, we were induced to stop, 
near Albany house, by an object of some curiosity. 
An ingenious apothecary and chemist has contrived to 
light his shop in a very beautiful manner, by means of 
the inflammable gas obtained from fossil coal. It is 
the same thing with the thermo-lamp of which you have 
lieard much in America. Every new thing by which 
money can be made, is of course kept secret in Lon- 
don, as vvell as every where else ; I took the liberty 
however, of asking the owner of the shop to permit me 
to see his apparatus. He refused at first, but, on my 
assuring him that 1 was not a commercial or trading 
man, and was actuated solely by curiosity, he consen- 
ted, and took me down cellar. 

The inflammable gas is extricated, simply by heating 
common fossil coal in a furnace, with a proper appa- 
ratus to prevent the escape of the gas, and to conduct 
it into a large vessel of water, which condenses the bi- 
tuminous matter resembling tar, and several other pro- 
ducts of the distillation, that are foreign to the prin- 
cipal object. The gas, being thus washed and purified, 
is allowed to ascend through a main tube, and is then 
distributed, by means of other tubes concealed in the 
structure of the room, and branching ofl' in every de- 
sired direction, till, at last, they communicate with 
sconces along the walls, and with chandeliers, de- 
pending from the roof, in such a manner that the gas 
issues in streams, from orifices situated where the 
candles are commonly placed. There it is set on fire, 
and forms very beautiful jets of flame, of great bril- 
liancy, and from their being numerous, long, and poin- 
ted, and waving with every breath of air, they have an 
effect almost magical, and seem as if endowed with a 
kind of animation. 



238 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

The gas is sometimes made to escape in revolviug 
jets, when h forms circles of flame ; and, in short, 
there is no end to the variety of forms which ingenuity 
and fancy may give to this brilliant invention. 

I was assured that they found this mode of lighting 
the shop more economical than the common one with 
oil or candles. But, it is not well adapted to small 
and confined apartments, as there is an odour resemb- 
ling that which arises from burning coal ; this odour 
may be prevented by peculiar precautions, but it is apt 
to exist, and this renders ventilation necessary. 

The expense of the apparatus, and its liability to 
accidents, forms another obstacle of magnitude, and, 
on the whole, it is probable that it will not be generally 
adopted. 

THE ROYAL SOCIETY. 

I was introduced here by the kindness of Sir Charles 
Blagden, who had left ray name with the door keeper, 
with proper directions for my admission. Sir Joseph 
Banks was in the chair ; he wore a cocked hat and a 
star on his breast, and his seat was considerably ele- 
vated above the general level of the room. It appeared 
to be a full meeting. The apartment was ornamented 
with portraits of men distinguished as cultivators or 
patrons of science. 

The Secretary, Dr. Wollaston, was reading a paper 
containing an account of the analysis of a new variety 
of the stone called zeolite. It was, of course, merely 
a recapitulation of chemical processes, no part of 
which would be interesting to you. This was the whole 
business of the evening, except the admission of some 
new members. The President then adjourned the 
Society, till the 7th of November next. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 239 

Although one may learn from their transactions 
every important and interesting fact which occurs in 
the Royal Society, still, it is a source of rational sat- 
isfaction to be present in one of the first scientific bo- 
dies in the world ; a Society which has been honoured 
by the presidency of a Newton, and whose papers 
present a mass of science which has probably not 
been surpassed by the exertions of any body of learn- 
ed men. 

The Academy of Sciences at Paris, under the old 
government, and the National Institute, under the 
new, have, it is true, held a long continued rivalry 
"with the Royal Society of London. It is not necessary 
to adjust their contending claims ; both have done 
much, and if national prejudices interweave themselves 
in matters of science, it is a weakness of human nature 
which ought to be forgiven. 

A PICTURE GALLERY. 

July 5. — A disposition to be thought connoisseurs 
in the elegant arts, and particularly in painting, is 
probably one of the most general traits of travellers 
in polished countries. As I utterly disclaim all pre- 
tensions to the real possession of this character, I will 
certainly not be guilty of affecting it. in speaking of 
my visit this morning to the Truchess Gallery, which 
is said to be one of the finest collections of paintings 
in England, I shall therefore give you only the genuine 
impressions of one unpractised in fashionable admira- 
tion. 

This gallery contains about 900 pictures of the 
Dutch, Flemish, French, German, Spanish, and Italian 
masters, arranged in eight large rooms, lighted from 
above, and so connected that every successive room 



240 A JOUKNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

seems a capital discovery, as one is impressed with the 
idea that every new apartment is the last. This col- 
lection was brought from Vienna at a vast expense ; it 
is asserted that -the duties of importation alone amoun- 
ted to 4000/. and that the total expense of removing 
it from Vienna, including that of the building in which 
they are exhibited, was 12,000 guineas. 

Description can do but little in conveying an idea 
of the beauties of painting ; I will mention only a 
few pieces which gave me particular pleasure. 

There is a portrait of his own daughter, by Denner, 
which you would pronounce to be life itself, and not a 
painting 5^ so perfect is the very living tint of the skin, 
the soft moisture of the eye, and the colour of the 
veins and lips. Denner had been distinguished for 
painting the heads of old people with wonderful accu- 
racy, and he drew this, the only portrait of a young 
face which he ever took, to silence those who said he 
could paint none but old faces. 

In the third apartment are two large hunting pieces^ 
the one, of a wild boar, and the other, of two stags, 
attacked by dogs. The wild boar, after having made 
great havoc among his canine enemies, is at length over- 
powered by numbers, and surely if ever swine had any 
thing of expression in his face, his is marked by violent 
indignation, grief, and despair. 

The stags too are in the same desperate situation 
with the boar, and while they are fastened upon, on 
every side, by their furious foes, they have a seeming 
dignity in suffering, which is enough to disgust one 
with the cruel pleasures of the chase. 

In the next room are two pieces, representing 
domestic fowls attacked by hawks ; while they are 
seizing on their defenceless prey, the consternation of 



ENGLAND) HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 241 

" The crested cock witli all his female trahi." 

and the trepidation of the farmer's boy, running to 
succour the barn yard, are expressed in a manner 
Tvhich nothing but nature can equal. 

There is a picture of a woman carrying a candle in 
the dark, and holding her hand before it to screen it 
from the wind, where the partial transparency of the 
fingers, and the full reflection of light from her face, 
are most surprisingly accurate. 

The painters seem to have been very fond of one 
particular subject, I mean the story of Joseph and his 
master's wife. There were in this gallery no fewer 
than three paintings of this story, by different artists. 
The images delineated by sacred writ are sufficiently 
distinct, without the aid of the pencil, and you may 
easily imagine that the morality of the scene has not 
gained much in the hands of the painters. 

I will notice one painting more, and that shall be 
the last. It was a very feeble, perhaps a very impro- 
per attempt, to reach the awful sublimity of its subject. 
This was no other than God the Father in his glory. 

Although it was a portrait of a figure resembling 
man, the artist had attempted to shed around it the 
fearful radiance shrouded with the impenetrable obscu- 
rity of the throne of Jehovah ; but, on this subject, 
the pencil is impotent — the strongest lines are feeble 
the most glowing colours are faint ! 

VOL. I. 21 



242 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 



No. XXVIL— LONDON. 

An American party.. ..Feelings of country.. ..Haymarlcet theatre 
....Manners and morals of the stage.,..Athletic exercises.... 
Beauty and activity of the young men of England... .Sadler's 
Wells theatre,. .Its origin.... Taste of the audience.. ..A curi- 
ous water scene. ..Royal institution.... Its origin and object.... 
Culinary esperiments,...Phiiosophical theatre.... A fashionable 

. resort. 

AN AMERICAN PARTY. 

Julij 6.' — 1 dined to-day with Mr. Williams, lafe 
American consul for the port of London. From this 
gentleman I had received a series of kind and useful 
attentions, which made his house a home, and in this I 
was not alone, for few men ever rendered themselves 
more useful to their countrymen abroad, or more res- 
pected by the people of the country. At hishouse to- 
day, as had often happened before, I met a party ex- 
clusively American. Although a traveller should 
rather avoid than seek the society of his countrymen, 
still, there is a feeling of country, which may some- 
times be advantageously indulged by an exclusive as- 
sociation with people vfhose habits and feelings, whose 
•very prejudices and follies, correspond with our own, 
I dined with an American circle to-day, and found a 
correspondence of views and opinions, which has rarely 
failed to shed over such parties a peculiar interest, and 
to produce a peculiar gratification. 

There was present a brother of the celebrated Ma- 
dame Jerome Bonaparte, now attending his unfortunate 
sister, whose recent repulse from the shores of the 
continent, e.xcites in this country no small sympathy for 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 243 

the lady, and equal indignation against the authors of 
her misfortunes. 

We were so happy as to have at our table an Ame- 
rican well known at home as a man of talents and dis- 
tinction, who has recently returned to England from a 
residence on the continent, principally in France and 
Italy. The politeness and suavity of his manners, his 
easy command of the best language, and the animated 
manner in which he speaks, enable him to display most 
advantageously the rare acquisitions he has made, and 
to instruct and delight the circles which he frequents. 
I have seen him in English parties, where I felt proud 
of him as my countryman, because I was certain that 
he did us honour. Indeed the idea advanced by Buffonj 
Raynal, and other European writers, that the human 
mind has dwindled on the other side of the Atlantic, 
is too insulting to be treated with the decency of a 
gober refutation, and too ridiculous to need it. While 
I feel the utmost respect for the enlightened intelli- 
gence of the English mind, I have seen no reason to 
think that my own countrymen would suffer by a com- 
parison. 

HAYMARKET THEATRE. 

July 8. — In the evening I went to the Ilaymarket 
theatre. It is opened only during the summer months, 
and its performances begin when those of Drury-Lan© 
and Covent-Garden close. The house is small but 
neat, and even to a certain degree elegant. 

The play performed to-night was Speed the Plough, 

with the after-piece of The Hunter over the Alps, 

Both the plays, and the manner of acting them, would 

have admitted of criticism; but, on the whole, I was 



244 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

entertained and even considerably interested. As usual, 
love was a prominent feature in the story, but nothing 
can be farther from the language and manners of this 
passion than the ranting professions and frantic ges- 
tures which usually attend it on the stage. 

The dancing was very indecent ; modesty seems not 
to be a necessary qualification in an actress. It would 
be unjust to say that it is never found on the stage, for 
the chara<;ter of Mrs. Siddons is knov/n to be estima- 
ble in private life, and I believe was never reproached. 
But Mrs, J d — n, one of the most eminent ac- 
tresses at present on the London stage, is openly the 

mistress of the Duke of C e, and has been so for 

many years. This duke is a son of the present king ; 
Mrs. J d — n is the mother of several of his chil- 
dren, and whenever she is to play a distinguished part^ 
he usually attends. 

In the plays this evening there was a considerable 
degree of profaneness, some coarse and indecent de- 
portment, and frequent inuendos too palpable to be 
misunderstood. I could not mark either displeasure 
or embarrassment in the countenances of the audience ; 
fashion sanctions every thing, and even modesty may 
be brought by degress to smile where it should frown, 
Enthusiastic applauses were bestowed by the galleries 
this evening, on this sentiment — that if a poor man 
had but an honest heart, there lived not one in England 
who had either the presumption or the power to oppress 
him. In this incident may be seen the active jealousy 
of liberty which exists even in the lower orders in 
England, 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 245 

ATHLETIC EXERCISES. 

July 9. — Having never seen the Aquatic Theatre, at 
Sadler's Wells, a little out of London on the west, I 
went thither this evening with an acquaintance. 

In our way we passed over an extensive field of green 
grass, where a company of young men were pia) ing 
at ball. This climate is so temperate, that even such 
violent exercise may be indulged in with safety and 
pleasure, at a season of the year when, in America, 
the heat is almost intolerable. I have worn broad 
cloth and cassimere thus far this summer, and have 
found no occasion for those light stuffs which, in the 
United States, are so welcome during the sultry heats 
of July. 

The mode of playing ball differs a little from that 
prttctised in New-England. Instead of tossing up the 
ball out of one's own hand, and then striking it, as it 
descends, they lay it info the heel of a kind of wood 
shoe ; the shoe is hollowed out from the instep back to 
the heel, and upon the instep a spring is fixed, which 
extends \Aithin the hollow to the hinder part of the 
shoe ; the ball is placed where the heel of the foot 
would commonly be, and a blow applied on the other 
end of the spring, raises the ball into the air, and, as 
it descends, it receives the blow from the bat. 

They were playing also at another game resembling 
our cricket, but differing from it in this particular, 
that the perpendicular pieces which support the hori- 
zontal one, are about eighteen inches high, and are three 
in number, whereas with us they are only two in num- 
ber, and about three or four inches high. 

The young men of England are very active, and 
play with much adroitness and vigour. Their habits 
21* 



246 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IJI 

of activity contribute much to that appearance of 
florid health which is so remarkable in the youth of this 
eountry. Probably the genteel young men of England 
are the handsomest men on earth. It is true this is in 
part attributable to their dress, which is remarkably 
correct ; their clothes are of the best materials — gen- 
teely made and genteely worn, and always clean and 
whole. They are never put on after they have become 
much defaced ; still they are plain, and appear to be 
made for comfort and decency more than for exhibition. 
There is much less finery than with us, and there are 
Tery few fops. The footmen are almost the only cox- 
combs seen in London. 

SADLER'S WELLS THEATRE. 

This theatre is situated a little out of London, near 
the village of Islington. There is a chalybeate spring 
here, which was famous before the Reformation for 
the cure of certain diseases ; but the priests of the 
Romish Church, who lived in the vicinity, had the ad- 
dress to persuade the patients that the efficacy of the 
^vaters was owing to their prayers. For this reason 
the spring was stopped up at the Reformation, and its 
Tirtues and even its situation were forgotten. In the 
year 1683 it was accidentally discovered again by a 
labourer, employed by a Mr. Sadler, from whom it 
derives its present name. Since that, the place has 
become famous for the exhibition of pantomimes, rope- 
dancing, and feats of activity for which a theatre has 
been erected, and the mineral spring now forms its 
smallest attraction. 

In the entertainment which I saw, the early parts 
consisted principally of low buflibonery — coarse wit. 



ENOLANP, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 247 

and feats of activity. You may judge, by the follow- 
ing circumstance, what sort of mirth is relished here. 

The dozen attempted to draw on a boot in presence 
of the audience, when, as his foot had nearly reached 
the bottom, he roared out as if from pain, and drew 
his foot violently out, when a large rat was seen hang- 
ing by his teeth upon the clown's foot, while he ran 
around the stage in apparent consternation. The thing 
was received with great applause, and doubtless suc- 
ceeded better than the most brilliant effusion of wit 
would have done. 

There was a great deal of dancing. The females 
laid aside the petticoat, and appeared in loose muslin 
pantaloons, white silk stockings, and red slippers. 
They wore also, an open short frock, hanging loose 
like a coat. Such facts need no comment. 1 shall say 
nothing more than that they danced with much spirit 
and elegance. 

The dancing was succeeded by a popular song, the 
subject of which was a late gallant achievement in the 
taking of a fortress in the West-Indies, by a boat's 
crew of a British ship of war. The applauses be- 
stowed on this piece, particularly by the galleries, 
were frequent and loud. The English naval enterprise 
was probably never higher than at present, and the 
theatres fall in with the national feelings ; on this sub- 
ject the meanest fellow in the gallery feels proud. 

Next came a long piece which was partly spoken 
and partly exhibited in pantomime. It was one of 
the Scotch popular tales, involving all their poetical 
machinery of witches, weird sisters, ghosts, enchanted 
castles, <&:c. the dresses, dialect, and scenery, were all 
Scotch, and, as usual, love and murder formed the ca- 



248 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

tastrophe. There was but one thing in the performance 
which I think worth mentioning. 

The last scene gave iis a view of the famous FingaPs 
cave. This representation was very interesting. A 
surprising circumstance in this piece of scenery was, 
that the place which but a moment before was a com- 
mon stage, all dry like a house floor, now became a 
great expanse of water, extending back and back, be- 
neath the arches of the cave, and between its huge ba- 
saltic columns, till, from the distance and the conse- 
quent obscurity, the eye could no longer perceive any 
distinct images. You are prepared to say, that this 
was all produced by the magic of pair.ting. No, it 
was not — the water was real, for it was soon filled with 
the boats of the Highlanders, some of which contained 
six or eight men, and were rowed with facility. A la- 
dy, who is the principal subject of the performance, 
had been brought by her lover in a boat, and landed 
on one of the crags of the caye, where she concealed 
herself to avoid the pursuit ol her lover's rival whom 
she hated. But soon his boat appears, approaching 
from the dark recesses of the cavern ; he discovers the 
lady in her concealment, forces her into his boat and 
is bearing her away in triumph, when she leaps into 
the water, and swims to the boat of her lover, which 
now appears, again coming from among the basaltic 
columns, on the other side; she reaches it, climbs up 
the side, and, all dripping as she is, lies down at full 
length in the boat. I mention this circumstance to 
prove to you that it was a real water scene. 

The head of the new river which supplies London 
with water is near this place, and 1 suppose, furnishes 
the water for the marine exhibitions of this theatre, 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 249 

thence, I imagine, deriving the name of the Aquatic 
theatre, by which appellation it is frequently called. 

It was to me a perfectly novel and an entertaining 
exhibition. 

ROYAL INSTITUTION. 

July 11 — Mr. Accura, to whom I have been in- 
debted for many instances of kindness, since I came to 
London, this morning conducted me to see the royal 
institution. This institution was set on foot a few 
years ago for the purpose of encouraging useful know- 
ledge in general, and for facilitating the introduction 
of useful mechanical improvements. Now, public lec- 
tures are delivered in the institution on different bran- 
ches of science, and particularly on natural philosophy 
and chemistry. The establishment was munificent- 
ly endowed, and Count Rumford was placed at its 
head, where he had opportunity to give full scope to 
his culinary and other experiments. The institution 
has become quite celebrated, and for two or Ihree years 
past, has made more noise than any other in Europe. 
It is on a very extensive scale ; for, the English, when- 
ever any favourite object is in view, never spare money, 
and indeed, as the patrons of such institutions are ge- 
nerally rich, they commonly prefer the most expensive 
establishments, because there is a gratificafion derived 
from the distinction, as well as from the consciousness 
of doing good. 

A number of contiguous houses in Albemarle-strcet 
have been so connected as to form one building, and 
this contains the numerous apartments of the ro^al in- 
stitution. There are rooms for reading the journals 
and newspapers ; others, devoted to the library which 
is already considerably extensive ; others to the philo- 



250 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

aophical apparatus, the lectures, the minerals, the pro- 
fessors, the cookery, servants, &c. In the lowest 
apartment they pointed out a great number of culinary 
utensils, consisting of stew pans, boilers, roaster^j and 
other similar things, which Count Rumford has, at va- 
rious times, invented, for reducing the humble pro- 
cesses of the kitchen to philosophical principles. The 
experiments were carried quite through, for, one of the 
objects of the institution was to give e xperimental d.m, 
^ers, at which the Count presided, and the patrons of 
ills experiments attended, to judge of the merits of any 
newly invented mode of cooking, or of any new dish. 
It was probably not very difficult to recriiit a sufficient 
number of men for this service, in a country where 
good living is so much in fashion, and could philoso. 
phical pursuits always come furnished with equal at- 
tractions, they would never want devotees. 

Do not understand me however as meaning any re- 
flections on Count Rumford. His labours have been 
highly meritorious, and useful to mankind, and I 
would be the last to throw an air of ridicule around 
those men who strive to make philosophy the handmaid 
of the arts. 

They shewed me also the system of boilers and pipes 
by means of which the Count has contrived to carry 
steam through this extensive edifice, and effectually io 
warm the theatre by diftusing through it the air which 
has become heated by contact with the pipes contain- 
ing the steam. 

The theatre is the room where the lectures are given. 
It is a superb apartment and fitted up with great con- 
venience. It is semicircular and contains a pit and 
gallery in which the seats rise row behind row. It is 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 251 

lighted from above through a circular orifice, which, 
whenever the lecturer wishes to darken the room, can 
be shut at pleasure by a horizoHtal screen connected 
■with a cord. This theatre has often contained a thou- 
sand persons. It is so fashionable a resort that the 
ladies of Westminster are in the habit of coming to the 
royal institution to derive instruction from the rational 
pursuits of philosophy. Surely every one would com- 
mend this preference, when the competition lies be- 
tween routs and masquerades and the delightful recre- 
ations of experimental ^ience. 

But, as one object of the institution has been to at- 
tract an audience, of course every thing has worn a 
popular air, and the amusing and the brillirint have 
been studiously pursued as well as the useful. The 
apparatus is by no means so extensive as I expected to 
find it. 

Very recently two new institutions have been pro- 
jected in London, on principles similar to this. Thej 
are patronised by people of the city, as distinguished 
from Westminster, and are designed to rival the Ro)al 
Institution. There is a spirit of jealousy and rivalry 
subsisting in the city towards the people of fashion in 
Westminster. In the former, people accumulate for- 
tunes by industry and spend their lives in business ; in 
the latter, they live to be amused, and to enjoy their 
fortunes. Although there can be no hesitation in de- 
ciding which class is really most deserving, and which 
ought to be honoured and applauded, some how or 
other, the world has always been so icrongJicadcU us 
to permit elegant and fashionable idleness to givo the 
ton to every thini;, while less polished but more use- 
ful industry has stood in the btuk ground. It must 



S62 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

be acknowledged that the citizens have taken a very 
laudable way to assert their dignity. 

Besides these institutions there is still another of very 
recent origin, the object of which is to hold forth en- 
couragement for the cultivation of the fine arts, parti- 
cularly those which are connected with the manufac- 
turing interests of Great-Britain. The encourage- 
ment contemplated is not merely that of honorary dis- 
tinctions, but of substantial pecuniary aid, and that 
sufficiently liberal to answer the purpose. 



No. XXVIIL— LONDON. 

Royal ch'cus....A pantomime.. .Absurdity of battles on the 
stage., ..Horsemanship.... Ludicrous scene.. ..Courtezans..., Old 
Bailey.. ..Incidents there. ...A wonderful old sinner... .Debtors 
in Newg'ate... .Goldsmith's garret.. .Morland picture gallery 
....Ludicrous courtship...! he painter his own satirist...Even- 
ing at home.... Mr. Nicholson. 

ROYAL CIRCUS. 

In the evening I went with an acquaintance to the 
Royal Circus, which is in St. George's fields on the Sur- 
ry side of the Thames. This circus is an elegant build- 
ing, fitted up, like other places of thekind, with a pit, 
boxes, and a gallery, and with a stage and scenery adapt- 
ed to pantomimes, buffoonery and feats of bodily acti- 
vity. 

The entertainment consisted of specimens of all these. 
The pantomime was nearly unintelligible to me, as I 
was unacquainted with the story. I believe however 
that it was taken from Shakespeare's Gimbeline. The 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 253 

English are still fond of battles on the stage, as they 
were in Addison's time, nor do the judicious objec- 
tions raised against this kind of representation by 
him appear to have at all corrected the national taste. 
This evening there was a great battle fought between 
the Romans and ancient Britons, with much noise and 
strife, and no small clashing of swords and helmets, 
but, as nobody was killed^ it was somewhat difficult to 
believe that the combatants had really been in sober 
earnest. As this impression will always remain on 
the mind, it is certainly better that fighting and mur- 
dering scenes should be related, and not acted. 

The horsemanship was wonderful. The feats which 
these people perform would, I think, be incredible to 
any one who had not seen similar things. Could we 
perceive any useful purpose, either of war or peace, to 
which this surprising muscular activity can be applied, 
we should look at equestrian exercises with more com- 
placency, but, as the case is, they must be regarded as 
a frivolous and childish amusement. 

Harlequin and Scaramouch were introduced on to 
the stage, and were, without doubt, very gratifying to 
those who can be amused with seeing man become a 
monkey, and '' the human face divine" distorted witli 
every possible spasm and grimace, and disguised with 
the most ludicious and absurd combinations of artifi- 
cial colour. 

There was one circumstance which afforded the gal- 
lery a high degree of amusement. Scaramoucii sat 
down to supper, and all of a sudden, the table was 
transformed into a tall pale ghost, which rose and em- 
braced poor Scaramouch, who was petrified wilh con- 
sternation ; with a desperate effort he disengai,-ed him- 

VOLi I. 2^ 



254 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IX 

self from the ghost, which then walked slowly and so* 
lemnly around the stage. 

This piece of deception was effected by concealing 
a man beneath a table; his head was let through it by 
means of a hole, and covered with a napkin as if it had 
been a roasted goose. At the appointed moment, the 
man rose, with the table on his shoulders ; the table 
was so small that the table cloth answered very well 
for a winding sheet, and fell down around the ghost, 
trailing on the floor and concealing his limbs. 

There was a great deal of buffoonery, indecent danc- 
ing, mimickry, and other similar things, most of which 
were as dull, as they were all silly and childish. Such 
are the amusements with which some of the people of 
iiondon recreate themselves after the fatigues of busi- 
ness, i mixed with the crowd in the pit and other 
parts of the house, and indeed it is my wish, as far as 
possible, to mingle in scenes of every description, 
whenever I can do it without guilt or danger, for, if 
one would form a correct estimate of human life and 
the human character, he must " catch the manners liv- 
ing as they rise." To obtain an adequate idea of the 
morals of London, it is necessary to visit the theatres, 
the gardens, and other public places, and to walk at 
night through the principal streets. In all these pla* 
ces, you will see multitudes of those whom it is scarce- 
ly possible to name without offence and disgust, and 
whose impudent and shameless advances, made without 
any regard to the decorum of time, place, or charac. 
ter, nothing but the most frequent and decided repul- 
ses can repress or even discourage. 

Perhaps I ought to apologize for alluding to a sub- 
ject so painful to every virtuous mind, but circumstan- 
ces of this nature are so frequent and so glaring, and 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 255 

■form so prominent a feature in London manners, that 
it is scarcely possible to pass them by in total silence. 

OLD BAILEY. 

Juli/ 13. — I dined with a friend, and ia the after- 
noon went with him to the Old Bailey, a court which 
I need only name, to^ow, who are familiar with Eng- 
lish jurisprudence. It is under the same roof with 
the famous Newgate prison. The cells which separate 
the unhappy felons from the rest of mankind ; the 
court that furnishes their death warrant, and the fatal 
apparatus which launches them into eternity, are all 
here upon one spot. Tyburn is no longer the scene of 
execution ; that distressing, although necessary act of 
justice, is now performed at the door of the Newgate 
prison, in one of the most public streets in London. 
In the back yard of the Old Bailey, we saw the scaf- 
fold. It is a stage erected on runners, and furnished 
with a gallows, beneath which is a trap-door, that 
falls from under the culprit ; when an execution is 
to take place, the machine is dragged out from the 
yard into the street, and placed before one of the pri- 
son doors through which the prisoner is conducted to 
the scaffold. There he is suffered to hang, sometimes 
for an hour. Although several executions have hap- 
pened since I have been residing in London, it has not 
been my misfortune to pass by New-gate in time to sec 
a kind of tragedy of which I would not willingly be a 
spectator. 

At the Old Bailey, a man was under trial for his 
life, on an indictment for burglary. I witnessed the 
issue of the trial. Judge Lawrence summed up the 
case to the jury, with perspicuity and humanity. 
Without leaving their seats, the jury acquitted the man 



256 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

of burglary, but found him guilty of a common larce- 
ny. Influenced by that commiseration which we are 
too prone to feel for one in his circumstances, I was 
gratified to find that his life was not forfeited, espe- 
cially as he appeared like a forlorn, distressed man. 
He seemed to behalf starved, and when called upon by 
the court for his defence, he said that he was without 
witnesses and without friends. 

Immediately after, a woman was brought to the bar, 
and indicted for crimes, for which, if convicted, she 
must loose her life. As we did not stay to hear this 
trial through, I do not know her fate. Judge Law- 
rence had retired, and the recorder now presided. I 
was disgusted with the captiousness and imperiousness 
which he displayed. Surely, while an upright judge 
asserts, with firmness, the dignity of the laws, he 
should bear'himself with all possible humanity towards 
the trembling wretch who stands before him. 

Last evening a young girl of 16 or 17 years of age 
was condemned to death in this court for forgery. In 
the same place, and for the same crime, stood convicted 
the famous Dr. Dodd, whose singularly distressing case 
called forth the pen of Johnson, and excited your friend 

Mr. with a warmth of friendship which we must 

admire, while we cannot but censure its interference 
with the laws — to exert himself, although unsuccessful- 
ly, for his rescue. 

In the course of this week, an old man of about 80 
years of age, has been tried for the sixty-first time at 
the Old Bailey, and this, after having been fifty-seven 
times publicly whipped, and otherwise ignominiously 
punished, and after being once condemned to death, 
the infliction of which was prevented by a pardon. I 
question whether the annals of criminal law can fur- 



ENGLAND) HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 257 

nish a parallel. The old man was condemned again, 
at this trial, but not capitally, so that he may yet 
make the number of his convictions equal to threescore 
and ten. 

There is a great number of debtors confined in New- 
gate and the adjoining prisons, and most of them are 
immured for small sums, and have very little hope of 
escaping, because they are miserably poor. They are 
crowded, in great numbers, into small apartments, and 
I have never heard more piteous cries of distress, nor 
more moving entreaties for relief, than from the grates 
of the Fleet prison, as I have been passing along be- 
tween it and Fleet-market. 

GOLDSMITH'S GARRET. 

My companion, who although residing in this coun. 
try as a merchant, has indulged that curiosity which 
the habits of his early education were calculated to ex- 
cite and direct, took me from the Old Bailey to Greeo 
Arbour Court, one of the early residences of Gold- 
smith. This court but poorly deserves the name which 
it bears, for it is obscure and dirty, and has neither ar- 
bour nor verdure about it. Although Mr. M 

had been here before, we searched for some time, and 
went into a number of houses, before we could find 
that in which Goldsmith formerly lived. It was a very 
ordinary, indeed 1 may bay a very poor house, and the 
poet resided in the very garret. His chamber was light- 
ed by a single window in the roof, and its antiquity 
was sufficiently evinced by the diamond form of the 
glass, which was very small, and set in lead. The 
■chamber itself was small, and so low, on account of 
22* 



\ 



258 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

the sloping of the roof, as to leave only a few feet 
where one can stand upright. 

We should not expect such a place to be honoured 
with the visitations of the Muses, yet, it is said, that 
this garret witnessed some of the finest effusions of a 
mind which has left much to delight and instruct the 
world. 

His chamber is now inhabited by a poor woman, 
who seemed to be very little conscious of the honour 
of being Dr. Goldsmith's successor ; for, when we ask- 
ed her concerning him, she said she knew nothing of 
the matter, although she had heard that such a man 
once lived there. When we inquired whether she had 
any thing of his in her possession, she even seemed 
wounded at what she appeared to feel as a reflection on 
her honesty. 

MORLAND GALLERY. 

July 15.— On my way home through the Strand to- 
day, my attention was arrested by the Morland Gal- 
lery of pictures, in surveying which I spent an hour. 
There are nearly one hundred pieces, all done by Mor- 
land, a very eccentric English artist, lately dead. The 
scenes are all from nature, and from real life, and what 
is more, they are all English scenes. There is not a 
single shred of Roman or Grecian fable, and therefore 
the pictures are generally understood, and being admi. 
rably executed, they are generally admired. I have 
never seen any pictures which exhibit the appearance 
of the ocean in a storm so well as these, and they pro- 
duced their fall effect" on my imagination, on account 
of the strong impressions which I have so recently re- 
ceived of marine scenery. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 259 

Morland has been equally happy in his winter scenes, 
and peculiarly successful in exhibiting the moral traits 
of common life. There is a picture of a bashful coun- 
try lad, making love to a lass as bashful as himself, 
^vhile the old people are looking on. This picture 
amused me much.* 

This story, not badly told in rhyme, is admirably 
told on the canvass, and the effect, as you may well 
imagine, is ludicrous in the extreme. 

Morland was a man of wild eccentric fancy, in the 
indulgence of which he travelled all over England, to 
copy some of its finest scenes. He has given a faith- 
ful portrait of his old white horse, which carried him 
in his excursions, and he took the strange whim into 
his head of painting a caricature of himself. 

He is exhibited as sitting at the canvas, with his pen- 
cil between his fingers, and his pallet on his thumb; — 
with stockings full of holes, and a coat out at elbows ; 
nor has he forgotten to satirize his own infirmity, by 

*As I cannot show you the picture, you shall have the story 
on which it is founded, 

" Young Roger, the ploughman, who wanted a mate, 
Went along with his daddy a courting to Kate : 
With a nnsegay so large, and his holyday clotlies. 
His hands in his pockets, away Roger goes. 

Now he was as bashful as bashful could be. 

And Kitty, poor girl, was as bashful as he ; 

So he bow'd and he star'd, and he let his hat fall, 

Then he grinn'd, scratch'd his head, and said nothing at all. 

If awkward the swain, not less awkward the maid ; 
She simper'd and blusird, with her apron-strings play'd ; 
Till the old folks, impatient to have the thing done, 
Agreed that young Roger and Kate should be one." 



260 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

placing the gin keg (which is said to have been his ru- 
in) in full view. 

My evening was rendered very pleasant at my lodgings 
by a call from two Americans, who took tea and spent 
the evening with me. We returned in imagination to 
our own country, and beguiled several hours in the 
most interesting conversation on American scenes. 
Never, till since my arrival in England, did I realize 
the strength of the tie which binds one to his country. 

My windows are barred and doors shut as close as 
if it were winter, and this has generally been the fact 
for some time past. Even in the day I have found it 
sometimes necessary to wear an outside garment and 
gloves, when reading in my apartment. It is widely 
different with you at this period, when the sultry heats 
of July oblige you to open your doors and windows 
to every breath of evening air, and to divest yourselves 
of every article of superfluous apparel. 

July 16,— .1 had an interview this morning with Mr. 
Nicholson, the conductor of the Philosophical Jour- 
nal, and author of several works on Natural Science. 
He is so well known to the scientific world, that it is 
not necessary that I should inform you of his merits. 
It is however always gratifying to find distinguished 
men amiable and attentive to civility in private life, 

Mr. Nicholson is so in an eminent degree, and in 
several instances in which I have consulted him on sub- 
jects connected with his peculiar pursuits, he has ex, 
hibited a degree of urbanity and intelligence, which 
could not fail of making an advantageous impression. 
He holds a conversazione at his house ; I was present 
at one. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 261 



No. XXIX.— LONDON. 

The Opera.. ..An amusement of the great....Nature of an opera 
.M. Absurdity of Italian operas before an English audience. 

THE OPERA. 

At half past seven o'clock in the evening, I went 
with an acquaintance to the opera, which is in Hay- 
market-street. You will recollect the amusing remarks 
of Addison on the subject of this opera, which was 
established in his time, that is, in the reign of Queen 
Anne, in 1705. 

I had never seen any thing of the kind before, and 
I believe there is no opera in America. No place in 
the United Kingdoms is so much resorted to by people 
of rank and fashion, and in none is more expense in 
dress exhibited than here, and the prices for admission 
are much higher than at the other theatres. The opera 
is therefore in a great measure avoided by the lower, 
and even by the middle classes of society, and given 
up to the fashionable world. To go into the boxes, 
or even into the pit, without being in full dress, would 
be regarded as a high indecorum, and you will remem- 
ber, that, in this country, a full dress always implies 
n?i chapeau bras^ that is, an enormous cocked hat, 
which folds in a manner perfectly flat, so as to be car- 
ried beneath the arm, when it is not on the head, 
(whence its French name of a hat for the arm) or even 
to be laid on the seat beneath the owner, or dangled in 
his fingers, by way of pastime or relief, from the awk- 
ward embarrassment of not knowing what to do with 
the hands. 



262 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

I shall not enter into a particular account of the en- 
tertainments of the opera. I feel strongly disposed to 
despatch the subject in one sentence, by saying that 
the opera is the most insipid, unintelligible, and stupid 
of all things that I have ever seen pass under the name 
of amusement. Notwithstanding this, it is the favou^ 
rite amusement of the fashionable vForld, and the reason 
probably is, not because they are enraptured by Italian 
ftiusic and French dancing, but because the expensive- 
ness of the opera makes it almost exclusively the 
amusement of the great, and probably because a fre- 
quent attendance there implies a knowledge of the 
Italian language, and thus may raise a suspicion of 
having travelled in Italy, a country which once furnish- 
ed the world with heroes and conquerors, but now with 
singers and fiddlers. 

The opera-house is a vast and magnificent theatre, 
and its scenery and decorations are in the first style of 
elegance, expense, and beauty. It has five or six 
tiers of boxes, a fact which will give you some idea of 
its height, and it would hold many thousands of spec- 
tators. 

Without presuming to give a definition of an opera, 
I may safely say, that the one which I saw was an 
Italian drama, which was not spoken, like a common 
play, but sung by the actors and actresses, who are 
accompanied by appropriate instrumental music from 
the orchestra. It seems to differ in no other respect 
from a common drama, for It is exhibited on a stage, 
with correspondent scenery, dresses, and action. Pan- 
tomimes and dancing seem to be appendages, and serve 
as interludes and conclusions. 

Now the humour of the thing is, that an English 
audience, not one in ten of whom can distinguish Ita, 



EI7GLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 263^ 

Ihin from low Dutch, sit here five or six hours, to hear 
these performers sing an Italian drama^ of which most 
of them comprehend not one sentence. They may, 
indeed, if thev choose, give two shillings for the play 
^vith an English translation, which is sold at the door, 
but, then they must study it all the time of the per- 
formance, by which means they loose the action and 
scenery, and are still so much disturbed by what is 
going on that they can form no distinct comprehension 
of the plot of the play, even with the book before 
them, r remained and heard this Italian drama through, 
and although it was tedious and unintelligible, I must 
still do the performers and myself the justice to say 
that I did obtain one idea from the representation. It 
was manifest from their " gestures fierce and mad de- 
meanour," that love was the main spring in the plot. 
This potent drug seems to be an indispensable ingre- 
dient in most theatrical compounds ; without it they 
w ould not go down. In this instance, however, it did 
not as usual etfervesce v\ith bloodshed and murder. 

The great things aimed at in the opera are the high- 
est attainments of music, particularly vocal, and the 
most finished elegance of dancing. The music is such 
as can be understood and relished onl) by amateurs, 
and the feats of the dancers, although wonderfully agile 
and elegant, are very extravagant, and those of the fe- 
males very indecent. Minute description of dress and 
dancing as 1 saw them at the opera would compel a 
modest eye to turn from my page, and I therefore dis- 
miss the subject. 

There were interludes of pantomime, unintelligible 
as usual, but rich in decorations, scenery, and all 
the auxiliary means adapted to give currency to these 
insipid exhibitions. Many children were introduc- 



264 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

ed upon tjie stage ; they, as well as their older com- 
panions, danced with great spirit and activity ; but the 
stage seems a miserable school in which to form the 
minds of children to useful knowledge or pure and 
Tirtuous principles and habits. 

The performances were over a little before one in 
the morning, and I hastened home, gratified at having 
seen the opera, because it is one of the shows of Lon- 
don, but, on every other account, fatigued and dis- 
gusted. 

It would be inconceivable to me how people can 
spend night after night there, from year to year, did I 
not know the force of habit, and the possibility of 
acquiring a taste for any thing to which the mind is 
directed by motives sufficiently powerful. 



No. XXX.— LONDON. 

Anecdotes. ...specimens of female manners from low and high 
life. Sentiments of an American lady. ...Royal Academy.... 
The Life Academy... .Living figures...,Astley's Amphithea- 
tre.... A sanguinary pantomime.... Naval exploit....Tricks to 
make sport. 

ANECDOTES. 

July 17. — I was, yesterday, passing through a nar- 
row lane, leading into Oxford road, when I saw a very 
athletic woman dragging by the collar a man much 
stouter than herself, and, with very appropriate elo- 
quence, upbraiding him for attempting to go off with- 
out paying for some cherries, which it seems he had 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLANB. 265 

bought of this modern Amazon. The poor fellow 
looked very much abashed, as she brought him back to 
her wheel barrow, greatly to the diversion of the po- 
pulace ; and truly, when you consider the disgrace of 
being dragged in this manner through the streets, and 
the stili greater disgrace of using force against a woman, 
it must be acknowledged that his was an embarrassing 
situation, and ati'orded to the advocates of Miss 
Wolstonecraft a triumphant example of the practical 
enforcement of the rights of women. 

As I was walkint^ through Hyde Park the other 
day, I saw two ladies in a phseton, without any gen- 
tleman, and one of the ladies was driving. It is true 
there were two servants on horseback, not far behind, 
who were ready to succour them in case of disaster. 
Oiir female charioteer had the very equestrian air ; she 
was dressed in a close suit of broad cloth, with a small 
beaver hat, and she crack'd the whip, and humoured 
the reins so well, that one would think she had been 
taking lessons from a master. Driving is, at present, 
quite fashionable among the ladies of England, and 
sometimes it is done where the good man sits peaceably 
by the lady's side — a passenger only. In our country 
where it is really a nmtter of convenience, and some- 
times of necessity, that a lady should be able to drive 
a chaise occasionally, this kind of skill is useful, but 
in London it is equally unnecessar) and utibecoming. 

From solitary instances, derived from the two ex- 
tremes of low and fashionable life, it would not be fair 
to infer that the female character in England is, in this 
age, tinged with masculine manners ; and if, in walk- 
ing the streets of London, one does not meet with so 
many of those timid retiring faces, and of those soft 
features, which are so frequent with us, he ought pcr- 

VOL. I. 23 



266 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

haps to impute it rather to the immense size of the 
place, and the familiarity which the eje soon acquires 
with ten thousand strange faces, and the unblushing 
indifference with which it learns to gaze upon them^ 
than to any improper boldness of mind, or native in- 
sensibility of features. Besides, the great capital of 
a great country never affords a fair exhibition of na- 
tional character, and no one who sees London alone 
and forms his opinions solely on that scale, can possi- 
bly make a correct estimate of England. 

I shall not hazard any opinion of my own on a sub- 
ject with which I am not suiiiciently acquainted, but I 
rnay, without impropriety, mention the sentiments of 
a respectable American lady, who has been, for many 
I'^ears, an inhabitant of England, and has seen much 
of English society. She remarked to me that there 
was much more freedom in the manners of the English 
ladies, particularly in their treatment of gentlemen, 
than with us, and that they conversed with them (in a 
serious style) without any consciousness of improprie- 
ty, on subjects, which it was scarcely possible to intro- 
duce in similar Araeirican circles. In these respects 
she thought the English manners superior to ours, that 
her own country women carried the point of delicacy 
even to iwudery^ (this was her language,) and that a 
greater degree of freedom would render them more in- 
teresting, and promote the social intercourse of the 
sexes, without at all impairing the dignity of her own. 

Returning home, from the city, to-day, I found on 
my table a letter on which I recognised your zcell 
known hand. I need not say that it was most wel- 
come, nor was it less so for being written jointly by 

yourself and II -. This is the first line which I 

have received from any of my family friends since I 



ENGLANP, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 267 

left home, a period of nearl}' four months ; by its date 
however it seems to have been lorg on the way. I trust 
it is only the earnest of repeated epistolary favours. 

ROYAL ACADEMY. 

July 18. — An accidental acquaintance with a young 
man who is a student at the Royal Academy has pro- 
cured me an introduction there. I ought to do Mr. 
M the justice io say, that his politeness was gra- 
tuitous, and 1 shall recollect the circumstance with 
pleasure as another honourable instance in favour of 
the liberality of English manners. 

Mr. West succeeds Sir Joshua Reynolds as the pre- 
sident of this institution, which I had, this evening, 
the pleasure of visiting, and of seeing the students at 
their work. We w ent first into tho antique academy. 
This apartment is filled with casts of ancient statues 
and of busts, selected from among the most celebrated 
productions of antiquity that have reached modern 
times. Among them are the Apollo of Belvidere, the 
Venus de Medicis, the fighting and dying gladiator, 
Mars, the boxers and the Farnesian Hercules. From 
these figures llie students are employed in drawing, in 
order to the attainment of the most correct ideas of 
symmetry of proportion, and force and beauty of mus- 
cular expression. Indeed it is very wonderful that 
mere unorganized matter can be made to assume such 
a degree of apparent life and intelligence. 

The young men are superintended by an overseer, 
v.ho is always some celebrated artist. This evening it 
was no other than F himself, a man not less cele- 
brated for his uncommon attainments in his art, than 
/for his having been one of the most favoured intimates of 
the great champion of female rights, in whose memoirs, 
written bv another of her admirers, who had not the 



268 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

wit or decency to hold his tongue, this great painter is 
celebrated ; and will probably be remembered as long 
as painting and Miss W have any friends or ene- 
mies. He is now Terging toward old age, his head is 
white as snow, and forms a striking contrast to his 
florid countenance. 

From the antique academy we went into the library. 
This collection consists of books on the imitative arts, 
principally in the French and Italian languages. The 
ceiling of the room is adorned with a very majestic fe- 
male figure, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, representing the 
theory of the art of painting. 

Last of all we visited the life academy^ where the 
student is not confined to statues, models, casts, and 
pictures, but copies nature^ without any intervening 
representative. An overseer, a man of gravity and 
years, always attends the students in this apartment. 
It is only when male figures are standing that visitors 
are admitted ; for this service the male figures receive 
from the students two shillings and six-pence, and the 
female half a guinea a day. They are selected for 
their uncommon beauty of form, and stand, naked^m 
the attitude of statues, while the students copy them. 
It is hardly necessary to add that they are taken from 
that class of society who value money more than some 
other considerations. The man who was standing to- 
day had been a soldier in the horse-guards, but was 
bought off from the service by the students, upon 
condition that he should expose himself for their im- 
provement. 

ASTLEY'S AMPHITHEATRE. 

July 19, — I had made an appointment to meet an 
American friend this evening, at the door of Astley's 



ENGLAND, UOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. ' 26GI 

amphitheatre, which is just over Westminster bridge 
on the Surry side. This theatre is precisely on the 
plan of the royal circus, and the entertainments are of 
the same kind, that is, pantomime, buffoonery, and 
riding. The house is very splendid, and the scenery, 
decorations, and machinery are in a style of very un- 
common elegance. 

The evening was opened with the pantomime of 
Zittaw^ or the Woodman's daughter. It was the most 
intelligible pantomime that I have ever seen ; this was 
owing to the liberty they took of speaking certain parts 
in plain English — of singing others, and of frequently 
displaying pieces of painted cloth, containing, in large 
capitals, a hint of the story. 

And what was the subject of the pantomime ? Do 
you ask ? It was that which is the Jirsty second and 
third thing in all theatrical performances. 

If we are to believe the theatres, love is a most san- 
guinary passion, for it rarely comes to a catastrophe 
without murder. They killed no fewer than four, in 
the course of this pantomime. Even the lady herself, 
who is the heroine of the story, is made, in the pro- 
gress of the representation, to appear on the stage, 
and to fence for a good while, with one of her unsuc- 
cessful suitors, whom at length, (being unable to des- 
patch him with the sword,) she destroys with a pistol 
ball. It is to be hoped that this was not a very faithful 
copy of life, for, surely, it is enough to be repulsed, 
without being murdered besides. 

The pantomime being through, we had next the 
achievement of Lieutenant Yeo, who, under the com- 
mand of Captain Maitlaiid, with a boat's crew or two, 
rfrom the frigate La Loire, a siiort time since, rnrrlprl 
23* 



270: A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

by assault, a Spanish fort, in Mures bay, in the West- 
Indies, and this, against astonishing obstacles. 

The achievement, although a very gallant thing, was 
in its consequences of no great importance, but, in a 
war so barren of great events, the theatres make the 
most of little things. This piece was executed very 
well. The scenery was fine ; the fort, the frigate, the 
boats landing the men, and the assault itself, were all 
well represented. 

You would be interested to observe the aspect of an 
English audience when subjects of this kind are exhi- 
bited. They are received with enthusiasm by all clas- 
ses of people, and it is easy to see, that a conviction of 
their naval superiority, and a disposition to maintain 
it, beat in every pulsation of an Englishman's heart. 
Should they lose this superiority, even without being 
conquered, it would probably break down the spirits 
of the nation. 

In the course of the evening we had numerous feats 
of bodily activity, and exhibitions of astonishing eques- 
trian skill, so perfectly like those which I have notic- 
ed before that I shall not say any thing more concern- 
ing them. 

Harlequin in Scotland, another pantomime, conclud- 
ed the exhibition. 

In this piece there seemed to be very little of a plot; 
the object was to make sport, and for this purpose we 
had Harlequin and clowns, and Scaramouch and bears, 
and monkeys and spirits, and heroes and apparitions, 
and devils. If all this would not move the audience, 
there would certainly be little hope of doing it by any 
means. Most of it was contemptible, and rather ridi- 
culous than humorous. But, the seemingly magical 
transformations; such as that of a case of drawers which 



BNGLANB, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 271 

became a flower-pot, and of a flower-pot which be- 
came a man, with the uncommon beauty of the scene- 
ry, were well worthy of notice. The dancing, which 
seems to be a very favourite part of the entertainment 
in all the English theatres, was rather more indecent 
than usual. The performances were through at half 
past ten. I am afraid that you will think me very cen- 
sorious, since I find, in the theatres of London, so lit- 
tle that 1 ca'. commend; but my only apology is, that 
I give you my genuine impressions. 



No. XXXI— LONDON. 

Animals... .A camel with a monkey for a rider... Piiflfs ..Lloyd's 
cofiee-house ;ijk1 the Royal E.vchange....Rare things adver- 
tised there. ...Vauxball gardens. ..Th'-ir attractions announced 
....Shop-keepers. ...Their modestr, arts, and address. 

ANIMALS. 
July 23. — Having occupied my leisure hours, of 
late, in perusing Bulfon, Shaw, and other writers on 
zoology, 1 have been naturally led to visit the muse- 
ums, and collections of animals, which are found in 
such perfection in London. With those views I spent 
several hours before dinner in Pidcock's menagerie at 
Exeter Change, and at the Leverian Museum. There 
are not many animals of importance which one may 
not see, at this time, in London ; to mention onI> a 
few of those which 1 have examined to-day ; — the lion 
and lioness, royal tiger of Bengal, panther, hyena, ti- 
ger rat, leopard, ourang.outaug, elephant, rhinoceros, 
hippopotamus, great white bear of Greenland, the bi- 



27^ A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

son, elk or moose deer, the zebra, &c. Most of these 
were living. I was regretting, as I was returning 
home, that, in all the collections of animals in London, 
there was no camel, and I had never seen one since I 
was a boy. With this regret on my mind I had almost 
reached my lodgings, when I was saluted by martial 
music, which I thought must proceed from a regiment 
of volunteers going out to a review ; but, on turning 
the corner of Margaret-street, what should I see but a 
camel, directly before my windows. The music pre- 
ceded the camel, which was led by a man, while a mon- 
key, dressed in a scarlet military coat, with much 
seeming gravity, was mounted on his back as a rider. 
It was the Bactrian camel, with double bunches, which 
were very acute cones, rising about two feet from the 
animal's back. The space between them furnished a 
Tery convenient place for the monkey to ride in. To 
increase the mirth, a boy mounted the camel, and the 
little red coated equestrian took his station on the boy's 
head, and played off his feats of activity with as much 
skill as Astley or Ricketts, and without degrading ^is 
nature like them. I was amused with the oddity of 
the group, w^hile I was seriously gratified with a sight 
so unexpected. This camel seemed rather dispirited 
and poor in flesh ; he was reluctant to move, as the 
rough stones of the pavement appeared to hurt his feet, 
accustomed as they had probably been, only to grass or 
sand. He would not stir without whipping, and then 
Tittered a piteous noise like a groan. 

PUFFS. 

' July 24, — In the course of the morning I was at the 
Royal Exchange, and at Lla}'d's CoiFee-House, which 
is, perhaps, more extensively known than any other m 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 273 

the world. Here, as well as in the Royal Exchange, 
it was amusing to me to listen to the busy hum of hun- 
dreds of voices, and to mark the calculating features 
bestowed by the presiding genii of the place on those 
who pay their daily devotions to the powers of loss 
and gain. 

The Royal Exchange is a vast quadrangular build. 
ing, encircling an area where the merchants assemble ; 
all around the area, are extensive piazzas, to protect 
them from the rain. Here, not only the greatest com- 
mercial arrangements of the emporium of the world are 
made, but the claims of empirics and impostors of all 
descriptions are exhibited, 

The walls are covered with bills, printed in large 
characters, and containing the praises of the rare things 
of London. Here, cheap stage coaches, improved ja- 
pan blacking, worn by his majesty and the royal fami- 
ly ; catholicons, elixirs, yellow fever drops, anthel- 
mintics, pectoral balsams and cosmetics, and every 
thing else which decrepitude, disease, fastidiousnesSj 
•and vanity can demand, may be found. 

Were you here, you would be amused, as I am every 
day, at the manner in which the people of London puff 
every thing oli", which they offer for sale. There is no 
usf for adjectives in the positive degree ; even the com- 
parative is too tame ; superlatives alone, and those ex- 
alted by adverbs, and other powerful inteusitives, will 
answer the purpose. 

f^u'ixhuU gardens appeared this morning on all the 
corners, in crimson capitals, legible a quarter of a 
mile, announcing that ** this terrestrial paradise" will 
be lighted up to-night, "iti a st} le of most suprrlative 
benut} and magfiilic.ence," in honour of the illustrious 
Marchioness of Hertford, who deigns this evening to 



274 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

appear in the gardens. The musicians are to outfiddie 
Orpheus, and the very nectar of the gods is to flow on 
the tables ; the fire-works will render the stars invisi- 
ble, and the assemblage of beauty is to be such as would 
put Venus quite out of countenance. Now, you will 
perceive that all this is only a decent way of picking 
pockets, and, in London, there are a thousand modes 
of doing this which are cot cognisable at the Old 
Bailey. 

The tradesmen take vast pains to display their wares 
and goods. You will see a shop at the corner of two 
streets, completely glazed on both sides, that is, form- 
ing one continued window from top to bottom, and 
from the sides to the corner. This is filled with goods, 
unrolled and displayed in the most advantageous man- 
ner, and cards are usually pinned to the articles, in- 
forming the reader how good and how cheap they are. 
For instance; — ."this beautiful piece of muslin at so 
much, two shillings in a yard cheaper than any other 
shop in London." 

1 passed, this morning, by a shop in Oxford-street, 
where large letters, in gold, appeared through the win- 
dows, containing this declaration, which is doubtless 
as true as it is modest ; '^ every article in this shop war- 
ranted twenty per cent, cheaper than any other shop in 
London." In short, if you were to believe the shop- 
keepers, they do business solely to oblige their cus- 
tomers. They are not contented with displaying their 
names once over the door ; first of all, if the situation 
is such an one as io afford a distant view, you will see 
the inscription painted in gigantic capitals on the brick 
wall — you may read them a quarter of a mile. Then 
you will see the inscription over the door, over the 
windows, in the windows, and in short, in at least half a 
dozen places. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 275 

When they have once enticed you in, you must pos- 
sess no small share of effrontery and address, if you 
escape without buying. I went into a hosier's shop, 
some time since, and bought some coarse hose, to be 
worn with boots. Before I could turn on my heel, 
two or three packs of silk stockings were displayed, 
and the shop keeper, with the manner which the rheto- 
ricians call insinuation^ said ; "allow me, sir, to put 
you up half a dozen pair of these stockings, wonder- 
fully cheap, only twelve shillings a pair.'' 

I positively declined. 

" I am very sorry, sir, I hoped to tempt you — they 
are so very cheap." I repl}' — sir, your temptation 
may yet prevail, if you will only make it strong enough, 
by taking off a few shillings more from the price. 

The night caps were next produced. '' Some very 
fine elastic double cotton night caps, sir, shall I roll 
you up a couple of these." I answer no, and preci- 
pitately leave the shop. 

All these arts, it is easy to see, arise from the im- 
mense competition of London. Thousands are com- 
petitors with other thousands, and while this causes 
improvement in the quality and reduction in the prices 
of articles, it produces also artifice, fraud, and ma- 
noeuvres without number. 

I might extend these observations much farther, and 
give numerous facts of this kind from various pursuits 
and grades of life, but these instances will serve as ex- 
amples. Nevertheless, I believe the trading character 
is as honest here as any where in the world, but, as 
knaves are numerous, and seem the kindest people on 
earth, it becomes a stranger, especially, to be very cir- 
cumspect in London. 



276 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 



No. XXXII —LONDON. 

Private parties.... A present from the Emperor of Russia to an 
Eng-lisl) merchant. ...A liberal clergyman.. Hatcham-house, 
the seat of Mr. H ....Rev. Mr. Cecil... .The Asylum. 

PRIVATE PARTIES. 

Juli/ 25. — I was present to»day at dinner, with a 

small but very pleasant party at Mr. V 's. This 

gentleman has been much conversant with the new and 
magniiicent docks which I have mentioned already. 
He takes pleasure in gaining admission for strangers 
to see them, and, among ethers, the Russian ambassa- 
dor received, some time ago, his particular civilities 
on this subject. He mentioned them to his court, and 
as a mark of royal gratitude, a diamond ring, and a 
grand hydraulic map of the Russian canals, were sent 
as a present to Mr. V . This map is now suspend- 
ed in his dining-room, with an inscription to this ef- 
fect ; " From Alexander, Emperor of Russia, to Wil- 
liam V , Esq. merchant, London." 

Such a mark of imperial munificence, it is presumed, 
few private men can exhibit, and few deserve it more, 
for Mr. V is famous for his hospitality to stran- 
gers, and his unwearied efforts to serve them. 

Jtdi/ 26. — 1 have been dining with a venerable cler- 
gyman of the church of England, from whom 1 have 
experienced so many kind and useful attentions during 
my residence in London, that I shall ever remember 
him with gratitude and respect. From this gentleman 
and his son I received to-day every civility, and I found 



ENGLAND} HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 277 

it impossible to get away from their numerous good of- 
fices till 9 o'clock. 

At the table of my venerable host I met one who 
seemed quite unworthy of the friendship of such a man. 
He too was a clergyman of the established church, but 
his rosy cheeks and plethoric person evinced that, in 
the 7iatnral sense^ at least, he was no stranger to good 
living^ while the freedom of his sentiments and lan- 
guage equally proved that his clerical character im- 
posed no inconvenient restraints on his practice. His 
hand, which at first was attended with such a tremu- 
lous motion that he could only with difficulty carry 
the glass to his mouth, became steadier as his nerves 
began to be stimulated with wine, till at length, he 
sunk into a slumber so profound, that we no longer 
regarded him as even a hearer. The conversation of 
those of us who were awake, turned on the usurpations 
of Bonaparte, and his threats, now more frequent than 
ever, of invading this country. At this crisis the Dr. 
lifted his heavy eye lids, and with a voice almost as 
sullen and unexpected as if it had come from a tomb, 
exclaimed, " What ! Bonaparte come to England — he 
invade this country — a d — n-d lamp.lighting scoun- 
drel !" His slumbers were now frequent, and were 
interrupted only by the return of the glass and a few 
remarks, graced with a good number of those fashion- 
able expletives, which even the most lax regard as rcu 
ther incorrect in him who " ministers at the altar." I 
have twice before been in company with a clergyman 
in this country, whom wine stimulated to use his Ma- 
ker's name in a manner which I do not care to repeat. 
I do not believe, however, that such instances are com- 
mon ; much less am I disposed to draw any general in- 
voL. I. 2i 



278 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

ferences from them, but, it strikes me with surprise 
that there should be any examples of this kind, in a 
country where public opinion is extremely offended by 
such gross violations, I will not say ol religion, but 
of morals and decency, and where there is power to re- 
medy the evil. From such examples it has probably 
arisen that the English church is so often stigmatized 
\vith us as corrupt. While the accusation, in many 
instances, proceeds, without doubt, from narrow and 
prejudiced views, it is to be regretted that any spots 
should be seen by the world on robes which ought to 
be only of the purest white. 

July ^7. — My morning was engrossed by business, 
and at 2 o'clock, P, M. I left home for Hatcham House, 
the seat of Mr. II , whom, with his interesting fa- 
mily, I have mentioned before. 

It was very grateful to me to escape from London, 
and to refresh my eyes with a view of the delightful 
grounds, around this gentleman's seat. Our party was 
very social and pleasant. Mr. H ^ has all the sub- 
stantial excellence of the English character, with a de- 
gree of mildness and suavity of manners, which cause 
affection for his person to go hand in hand with esteem 

for his virtues. Mrs. H and the young ladies are 

worthy of such a husband and such a father. After 
dinner a walk was proposed in the gardens, to which 
we all consented. Several of the gentlemen amused 

themselves with playing at ball, while Mr. H , a 

young clergyman from Ireland, and myself, walked 
along the avenues and gravel ways. Fortunately this 
was not the Irish clergyman of whose loquacity I com- 
plained when herp before. When the young ladies 
came into tlie gnrdenfi, I joined their party, and left 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. ?79 

the (;enUemen. We rambled over and over the grounds, 
and I found in the manners and conversation of these 
ladies much delicacy, affability and good sense. It 
would be difficult to discover any serious difference 
between them and ladies of the same standing with 
us, and I am satisfied that in England, as well as in 
other countries, an estimate of female character will be 
most correctly made from a familiarity with the retired 
scenes of private life If barrow-women fight battles 
in the streets of London, and fashionable ladies drive 
phsetons in Hyde Park, we must not conclude that mas- 
culine manners are general, and that female softness 
and loveliness do not shed a charm over the domestic 
circles of England. But, to such scenes a stranger 
is rarely admitted with any considerable degree of 
freedom. 

Mr. H showed me a curious relic. It was a ce- 
dar chest that once belonged to the celebrated Dr. 
Owen, when he was secretary to Oliver Cromwell, in 
which he kept the papers of this sagacious and success- 
ful usurper. 

He exhibited to me also a pair of silk garters knit by 
one of the Hottentots who were christianized in this 
country. I walked home six miles and arrived in safe- 
ty although at a late hour. 

Jiili/ 28, Sabbath. — As I wished to form an esti- 
mate of the state of the English church from my own 
observation, I have not attended worship at any parti- 
cular place since I have been in London, but have gone 
into the churches of the establishment wherever I could 
find them, and frequently without knowing the name 
either of the church or the preacher. To-day, I have 
been to a church of the establishment in Bedford-row, 



280 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

whither I was led by the reputation of Mr. Cecil, one 
of that description of ministers, whom those of similar 
sentiments style evangelical^ while, by others, they 
are called methodists in the church. Mr. Cecil was 
not only full of his subject, but seemed " mainly anx- 
ious that the flock he feeds should feel it too." 

His discourse was well written, but he has the mis- 
fortune to be possessed of a constitution so feeble, that 
his limbs are not competent to support him during the 
delivery of a discourse, and he is compelled to sit on 
an elevated seat. 

In the evening I attended service at the female asy- 
lum on the Surry side of the river. This is a charita. 
ble institution for the education of two hundred female 
orphans I had the pleasure of seeing them all neatly 
dressed, and behaving with much decorum during pub- 
lic worship. The asylum is designed to prevent the 
ruin of those who, from being left destitute of their 
natural protectors, and of a support, would be exposed 
to almost infallible destruction. Here the female or- 
phan is received, educated, and ultimately provided 
with means of procuring a subsistence. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 281 



No. XXX[II.— LONDON. 

Excursion to Greenwich .Method of sprinkling- the streets in 
London... .Vast commerce of the Thames.,..Objects on the 
river. ..Greenwich hospital... .Great beauty of the buildings.... 
Veterans. ...Their vacancy of mind. .Greenwich park:.... Singu- 
lar popular amusement.. ..Royal Observatory.. ..Seat of the 
princess of Wales. ...Of the late Lord Chesterfield. 

EXCURSION TO GREENWICH. 

July 30. — Immediately after breakfast, I proceeded 
Tvith a companion on foot to the tower. The morning 
was warm for the season, but the CTaporation from the 
water which was flowing in the streets, tended to re- 
store an agreeable coolness. London is supplied with 
abundance of water, by machinery under London 
bridge, which raises the water from the Thames, and 
also by the new river which is distributed into every 
part of the town by subterranean pipes. Almost every 
morning, some of the large water plugs are turned, and 
the streets are for a time partially inundated ; this pro- 
duces the double effect of cleansing them and of cool- 
ing the air. Both these effects are aided by a contri- 
vance w hich I have never seen except in London. 

There are carts fitted up with square boxes, water- 
tight, except behind and below, where there are a groat 
number of perforations like those in a riddle. When 
these boxes are filled with water the carts are drawn 
slowly through the sfnr-ts, which are, in this way, 
sprinkled. As the watfr subsides into the gutters, it 
is thrown out again info tlio cart- \^ ay, b\ men \\\{\\ 
broad shovels ; the filth of the streets is also removed 
24* 



282 A JOURl^AL OF TRAVELS IN 

every day, so that London, considering its size, is 
■wonderfully clean. 

The object of our excursion, this morning, was 
Greenwich hospital. We took a boat at the tower and 
proceeded down the river. Our progress was between 
double rows of ships, stationed on either side of the 
river — innumerable — bearing the flags of almost all 
nations, and presenting, as far up and down as the eye 
could reach, a scene resembling a girdled* forest. It is 
useless for me to dilate on the vast commerce of the 
Thames ; you know it well ; this river, undoubtedly 
sustains more wealth than any other, and the innume- 
rable wherries, passage-boats, lighters, and other small 
craft, swarm on its surface, like insects on a pool of 
stagnant water, in a summer's morning. 

As w'e passed down the river, we saw several ships 
of war lyinjj at anchor ; a great number of Dutch ves- 
sels under Prussian colours, and a Grreenland ship, the 
blubber from which was then boiling on shore, and 
sent a very unsavoury effluvium between the wind "and 
our nobility." Against her masts a number of ribs of 
■whales were placed perpendicularly, seemingly as tro- 
phies. On the south side of the river, near where this 
ship lay, there is a dock appropriated to the Greenland 
ships. 

We passed by the West-India docks which I have 
already mentioned ; nor did we stop at Deptford a 
principal station for building, victualling and repair- 
ing the royal navy. Foreigners are not admitted there 
at all, unless by favour, for the English are very jea- 
lous of every thing connected with their naval great- 

* Girdled, a word employed in America to denote the me- 
thod used to destroy the trees by making an incision quite 
around them. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 283 

ness. We passed however close to the shore, and saw 
several large ships of war on the stocks, and they 
were just raising the masts of a sixty-four, which lay 
in the stream. Thus, by an unceasing attenlion to 
their navy do the English maintain its proud superi- 
ority. 

We rowed by a small frigate, on board of which are 
about three hundred charity boys, receiving the rudi- 
ments of a naval education. The ship belongs lo the Ma- 
rine Society, and is permanently moored in the river ; the 
boys, who are patronised by this society, live on board, 
and are instructed in such theoretical knowledge as 
seamen want, and are daily exercised at the ropes and 
great guns. When they arrive at a proper age, they 
are removed into actual service on board the king's 
ships, or those of the East-India Company. 

Greenwich Hospital is about five miles from Lon- 
don bridge, but, there is no interruption of the streets 
and buildings, and, a stranger would not distinguish 
that Deptford and Greenwich are not a part of Lon- 
don. 

Being arrived, we landed and proceeded to the ter- 
race, in front of this most magnificent hospital. It is 
vast in extent, as you may well suppose from its afford- 
ing accommodations to two or three thousand persons 
within its walls. It is built of Portland stone, after 
the first designs of Inigo Jones and Sir Christopher 
Wren, and is, in all resj^cts, the most grand, beauti- 
ful, and princely structure of the kind that 1 have ever 
seen. It is not, like St. Paul's, and the other fine 
buildings of London, deformed with smoke and coal- 
dust, but retains all the neatness which it had in the 
days of William and Mary, its royal founders. I shall 
not attempt a minute description of Greenwich Ilospi- 



284 A JOURNAL GF TRAVELS IN 

tal, because it would not be very intelligible unless 
accompanied by drawings. 

We were conducted into a magnificent room, ori- 
ginally intended for a dining hall, but now not used. 
The walls and ceiling are adorned with very fine and 
appropriate paintings, but these fine pictures are seen, 
in so imperfect a manner from below, that the effect ig 
in a great measure lost. In this apartment there is a 
model of a Roman galley presented by Lord Anson. 

Opposite to the dining hall is the chapel, an exqui- 
sitely beautiful room, decorated with the highest efforts 
of painting and architecture. The altar-piece was 
painted by Mr. West, and represents the shipwreck of 
St. Paul. It is a very large, and, as it appeared to me, 
a very fine picture. 

Our guide was a venerable old pensioner, and wore 
something like a uniform. I inquired whether it was 
the badge of his office, as guide through the chapel. 
The old man's heart was not yet cold to naval pride, 
and the dignity of rank, and, while he informed me 
that this dress was worn by all those who had been boat. 
swains^ I could read in his countenance some displea- 
sure at ray ignorance of his former consequence. 

We walked at leisure under Ihi;- lofty colonnades and 
through the extensive courts of the hospital. Every 
where we met those veterans, who, after encountering 
the dangers of the ocean and of battle, uninjured, and 
facing death in its mostdreadfftl forms, are now quietly 
counting the last sands of life as they run. A com- 
fortable provision for their old age, is an act of com- 
mon justice, due to them from their country, but, 
small is this compensation for a life mercilessly cut off 
from all the charities of home, and for mutilated limbs, 
and broken constitutions. Their minds seemed to be 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 285 

very vacant ; they were lounging, walking, or pla)^ing 
at cards, or sitting in listless silence. Some of them 
had but one leg ; others none. They were dressed in 
a coarse blue cloth, and appeared to be well provided 
for. The number of out-pensioners is about three 
thousand, so that the whole number of persons be- 
longing to the institution is five or six thousand. This 
hospital is the exact counterpart of that at Chelsea ; 
as the latter is devoted to the land, the former is con- 
iined to the sea service. Greenwich Hospital does 
great honour to the country, and is, without doubt, an 
institution unrivalled among the charitable establish- 
ments of the world. It is beautifully situated on the 
banks of the Thames, and is surrounded by fine ver- 
dure, fine views, and free air, while it is quiet as a ham- 
let. 

Immediately back of Greenwich Hospital is the ex* 
tensive park of the same name. Greenwich was for- 
merly a royal residence, and the seat of a palace, to 
which I presume this park must have belonged. We 
walked through it, and found it a delightful spot. It is 
varied with hill and dale, and on one of the hills a cu- 
rious scene is exhibited, at a grand merry making of the 
populace of London, and its vicinity, which is held 
here in May, every year. It is an annual freak, of 
coarse popular sport, the existence of which f should 
scarcely credit, had I not the best authority for the 
fact. The people assemble on a hill in this park, and 
then roll down the side of it, in hundreds at once, with 
all the promiscuous gonfusion which can be supposed 
to attend so rapid and unceremonious a descent, by the 
power of gravity alone. As the king has been in ill 
health, and in a state of mind which needed exhilara. 



286 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

tion, they contrived to have him, as if accidentally, 
(and certainly without his own knowledge) present at 
the last merry making, when he saw this grand rolling 
down of human bodies, and it is said that the extremely 
ludicrous nature of the exhibition affected his risibles 
Tery powerfully. 

.The park is ornamented with avenues of lofty and 
venerable trees, among which several herds of fallow- 
deer, very fat and sleek, presented themselves in diffe- 
rent parts of the grounds. From constant familiarity 
with man, they are quite tame, and do not avoid one's 
approach more than a flock of sheep would do. 

On an eminence, in the centre of the park, stands 
the Royal Observatory of Greenwich. I had the plea- 
sure of being at this celebrated spot, and of setting my 
foot oh the line, where (if all the world will so agree) 
longitude commences. As I had not any introduction 
to Dr. Maskelyne, the astronomer royal, I did not go 
into the observatory, but I intend to visit Greenwich 
again, for this purpose, as an English friend has pro- 
mised to give me every facility on this subject. 

We now went out of the park, into the extensive 
common of Blackheath, which, with Shooter's Hill, a 
neighbouring eminence, has long been infamous for 
highway robberies. On Blackheath are a number of 
handsome country seats. 

In Greenwich Park, and looking into the common, 
is the house where the Princess of Wales now resides, 
in a state of separation from her husband, who, it is 
said, still patronises the lady that has so many years 
been his favourite. On such an instance of the viola- 
tion of the most sacred laws by one whose private life 
ought to correspond with his high destination, perhaps' 



ENGjJVND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 287 

it is better not to make any remarks than to indulge 
the indignant spirit of censure which it naturally ex- 
cites. He must possess very little firmness of mind or 
sense of decency, who, as heir to the throne of a great 
empire, will not restrain those excesses which are dis- 
graceful and ruinous to a private individual, and, as 
examples in a prince or king, noxious to the morals of 
his people, to a degree which he cannot duly estimate. 
The residence of the Princess, who is represented as 
blameless in her life, and amiable in her deportment, 
is very neat, but not at all magnificent. The young 
Princess is still under the care of her mother, but is, I 
believe, at this time residing on Shooter's hill. 

Very near the residence of the Princess of Wales is 
the seat of the late Lord Chesterfield. It is not re- 
markably elegant, but has an air of grandeur. We 
stopped a few minutes to view this house, in which 
Lord Chesterfield is reported to have written many of 
those celebrated letters that present such a strange mix- 
ture of frivolity and gravity, wisdom and folly, m.ora- 
lity and licentiousness. We concluded our walk by 
taking a fine view of London and its environs, from 
an eminence adjoining Blackheath. The river, with 
its green banks, and its long forest of masts, was di- 
rectly before us, and a little farther oji', the vast British 
metropolis, so remote as to hide all its deformities, and 
still so near as to exhibit a spectacle of great beauty 
and magnificence. 

By this time we had acquired a good appetite for our 
dinner, which we took at Greenwich, and then return- 
ed, in the afternoon, to London. 



288 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 



No. XXXIV— LONDON. 

Second visit to the British Museum..,.Platypus of New Hol- 
land... Roman staraps....Rings.... Vases, ..Lares and penates.... 
Roman eagle... .Horse furniture of Hyder Ally... Crocodile.... 
Royal correspondencc-.Townley's collection of busts and 
statues....\Vi!liam Hunter's Miiseum....Singular example of 
professional sang froid. 

A SECOND VISIT TO THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 

July 31.— I was so much dissatisfied with the hur- 
i-ied manner in which I saw the British Museum be- 
fore, that I was very desirous to see it again under 
circumstances more favourable. Mr. Peck of Harvard 
University and myself had been repeatedly disappoint- 
ed in our attempts to see the museum, but this morn- 
ing we succeeded in gaining admission, and were con- 
ducted, with some degree of deliberation, through its 
various departments. But, it is much to be regretted, 
that more distinction cannot be made between those 
who go merely to be amused, and those who seek in- 
struction also ; for it is really distressing to be sur- 
rounded by a host of things which are full of informa- 
tion, and then to be hurried away from them just as 
one is beginning to single out particular objects. It 
is however useless to complain of that which we cannot 
alter. 

A number of things which I did not mention when 
here before, struck my attention to-day. Among the 
natural curiosities, we saw the duck-billed platypus 
from New Holland. It was the first specimen brought 
to Europe. This most singular animal seems to form 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 289 

a part of the connecting chain between quadrupeds and 
birds. He has a body, like that of the beaver, cover- 
ed with thick hair, with feet webbed for swimming, 
but so short as to resemble fins, and, what is the most 
surprising circumstance, he has a bill like that of a 
duck. It is no deception ; the bill adheres to the jawSj 
by a natural and firm connection, and has the serrated 
edges, and the exact form of that belonging to the class 
of ducks called shovelers. There is nothing in nature 
analogous to this animal. New Holland has furnished 
a number of rarities in natural history, and will pro- 
bably still farther enlarge our knowledge of the Crea- 
tor's works. 

I was again highly gratified to-day in viewing the 
numerous Roman and Grecian antiquities, collected 
principally by the late Sir William Hamilton. I have 
not time to mention many of them ; they will form a 
pleasing subject when we meet. 

Among other things there were many Roman stamps, 
that is, pieces of metal on which names are designed, 
so as to make them resemble very much our marking 
irons, and they were used for the same purpose. How 
singular that they should have come so nigh to the art 
of printing, without discovering it. 

Theje is a fine collection of the instruments which 
they used in sacrifices, and of their domestic utensils 
and household gods. Some of their rings are of ex- 
quisite workmanship, and rich with precious stones 
and gold. The Roman vases were extremely beau- 
tiful ; modern arts have produced nothing superior in 
workmanship. I must not omit to mention that I saw 
the Roman eagle which was carried aloft in their bat- 
tles. 

TOL. I. 25 



290 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN* 

All these things serve to carry one back to the Ro^ 
ihao ages, to identify the past with the present, and to 
produce a very pleasing impression %vhen you reflect 
that a Roman hand once held the article which is now 
in yours. 

There are also several specimens of Raphael's China, 
that is, of China which was painted by that celebrated 
artist. These things were formerly in the cabinet of 
Lorenzo de Medici at Florence. 

One large room is devoted to the curiosities collected 
by Captain Cook in his voyages. They consist princi- 
pally of the domestic and warlike utensils, and of the 
gods and sacred implements of the people of Otaheite 
and other islanders of the Pacific and Southern oceans. 
They are highly illustrative of their state of society 
and manners, and recall powerfully to one's recollec- 
tion, the memory of that meritorious but unfortunate 
man hy whom they were collected. 

The dress and horse furniture of Hyder Ally, that 
formidable foe of the' English power in India, is ad- 
vantageously displayed in a large glass case. I ob- 
served particularly his boots and spurs, and his saddle 
and bridle. These things were obtained through Lord 
Clive, the successful antagonist of Hyder. They jus- 
tify every thing which we have heard of Asiatic mag- 
nificence. The stirrups and bits are of gold, and every 
part of the furniture is ornamented with a profusion 
of that precious metal, which appears to great advan- 
tage on stufts of crimson and green silk. It is not for 
me to say how far the English wars in India are just, 
but it is scarcely possible to help pitying the vanquish- 
ed monarch Hyder ; and Tippoo, who was equally he- 
toicj and equally unfortunate as his father. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 291 

The mineral collection is extensive. The specimens 
«re uncommonly large and fine, and fill one with asto- 
nishment that this rude earth should contain such beau, 
tiful things. 

There is in the museum a crocodile from the river 
Ganges. It is eighteen feet long, and although it dif- 
fers somewhat in the form of its mouth from the Egyp- 
tian crocodile, it is substantially the same with that, 
and with the American alligator. There is an idea 
prevalent that the American alligator differs from the 
crocodile by moving his lower jaw, while the crocodile 
is said to move the upper ; but this is a vulgar error,; 
both animals move the under jaw and this alone. 

Our guide S\as a civil man, and, I persuaded him, 
although it was, strictly, not within rule, to show me 
some specimens of the royal correspondence ; for, 
among the innumerable manuscripts of the British 
museum, there is a collection of genuine letters of 
many of the kings and queens and great men of Eng- 
land, in their own hand-writing. You will not doubt 
that the sight of these was a feast, and I employed the 
time as assiduously as possible in reading parts of let- 
ters written by Henry I. VI. and VIII. by James I. 
and II. Queen Mary, Queen Ann, Charles I. Lord 
Bacon, and Queen Elizabeth. Many of the letters of 
Queen Elizabeth are in Latin, which language she 
wrote with great purity and elegance. Her father 
Henry VIII. wrote a scrawling illegible hand. I 
sought but in vain for the original of that interesting 
letter of Ann Bolein written to Henry, while she lay 
under sentence of death in the tower, to gratify his 
jealousy, and to make way for a new favourite and a 
new victim. What I have said of the British museum 
must be regarded as merely miscellaneous remarks, for 



292 A JOWRNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

volutnes would be necessary to convey an adequate im- 
pression of the articles that are there. The museum is 
now shut for two months. 

A grand collection of Roman and Grecian statues 
and busts, surpassing every thing of the kind in Eng- 
land, was made by the late Mr. Townley, and employ- 
ed most oi" his life. This collection has been recently 
purchased for the British museum, but has not yet been 
removed from Mr. Townley's house in St. James's 
Park, whither we next went to see it. 

Most of the numerous articles in this collection, 
which is considered as a cheap purchase at twenty 
thousand pounds, are the genuine productions of the 
Roman and Grecian chisel. The late Sir William 
Hamilton pronounced it the first collection in Europe, 
aiul indeed, it is very wonderful that marble can be 
wrought into forms of such exquisite elegance, and be 
made to express so perfectly the features of the mind. 

In this collection there is a Grecian bust of Homer, 
and one of Pericles. A statue of Ariadne is very fine, 
and the pastoral muse Thalia, is exhibited in drapery 
which seems actually to possess the light airy folds of 
muslin, and to be at once a transparency, and a veil. 
The same things may be said of a recumbent statue of 
Diana. But, it will be useless to enlarge, for I am too 
little conversant with subjects of this nature to judge 
eorrectly, and when I praise or blame it is from feeling, 
more than judgment. An artist or a connoisseur might 
decide very differently ; but there is, after all, a natu- 
ral taste in most men which generally decides with tole- 
rable accuracy on the correctness of professed imita^^ 
Mods of nature. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 293 

DH. WILLIAM HUNTER'S MUSEUM. 

August 1. — The gentleman with whom I yesterday 
Tisited the British museum, went with me this morning 
to see the museum of Dr. Hunter, an introduction to 
which was procured for ns by Mr. Accum. 

The anatomical theatre, which is also the dissecting 
room, was shown to us by the dissector. It is conve- 
nient, but is not particularly interesting, except from 
its having been the scene of the anatomical labours of 
the great William Hunter ; there he delivered his lec- 
tures, and gave his demonstrations. 

The museum is probably the first in the world, for 
the number and rarity of its anatomical preparations. 
We were indulged with a sight of it. The collection 
is not confined to anatomy. It embraces other objects, 
as for instance, antiquities and natural history. There 
is a collection of medals worth twenty thousand pounds, 
and a very choice cabinet of minerals and shells. Every 
thing is most happily arranged, both for exhibition 
and instruction. But, the anatomical preparations form 
the glory of this museum, ^specially those of diseased 
parts, and monstrous productions. Of these there is 
^n almost endless variety, and in a fine state of preser- 
vation. As the spectator passes along the crowded 
shelves, the [)reserved remains of thousands of our fel- 
low mortals exhibit, in melancholy array, the host of 
ills that " flesh is heir to." It is enough to humble 
the pride of beauty and to make even pleasure sober. 
I could be particular, but the minds of those who have 
not been drilled into apathy^ by a familiarity with the 
disgusting lacerated fragments of a dissecting room, 
cannot bear the exhibition of particular images of these 
-things. I therefore dismiss Dr. Hunter's museum. 
25* 



^^94 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

without mentioning, as I have usually done in simileil 
cases, some of the most interesting objects. 

The dissector appears to be about fifty years of age, 
and has spent his life among bones, skeletons, and 
dead bodies. So completely has habit extinguished all 
^' compunctious visitings of nature," on this subject, 
that, it is said, he has actually sold his own person to 
the anatomical class, and receives an annuity upon con- 
dition that preparations are to be made of it, and to be 
placed in the museum. Thus h&is determined that his 
body, after death, shall still haunt a place, in which, 
while living, he has delighted to be. You must par- 
don me for mentioning disagreeable subjects, where 
they are illustrative of the human character. This man 
seems, long ago, to have extinguished every thing of 
that dread, horror, and disgust, with which most peo- 
ple contemplate these subjects, and to have advanced 
into a new world of enjoyments, unknown to those who 
have not kept such dreadful society. 

Yesterday, news reached town, of the partial defeat 
of the combined squadrons of France and Spain. The 
tower and park guns were fired on the occasion, and 
this evening I heard the park guns again — probably on 
account of farther good news. But, it is painful to re- 
flect that the peal of triumph is also the funeral knell 
of multitudes. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 295 



No. XXXV.— LONDON. 

Incidents. ...Family of a village clergyman....A mistake...Thun- 
der storm. ...Vanity of an author.. ..American ministers.... An 
evening- walk,.,. Manufactory of carpets....Lord Bacon's tree 
....Hatton GardeiT. * 

INCIDENTS. 

August 2. — I have been not a little gratified to-day 
with a family scene which yet presented nothing new 
or uncommon, and indeed, it was for this very reason 
that I have been pleased. I had occasion to visit a 
village near London, and to make a call at the house 
of a clergyman. Previous circumstances had made it 
proper, and not embarrassing, to tell my own name, 
for, I was personally, unknown to them. The thing 
which gave me pleasure was the exact resemblance 
which this family presented to that of any respectable 
clergyman in Connecticut. I was received with the 
same open and friendly hospitality, and with the same 
sedulous attention, and felt actually domesticated with- 
in half an hour. The clergyman was at work in his 
garden when I arrived, but he was immediately, called, 
and came in, with one of those great white wigs on his 
head, with which we learned, when boys, to associate 

impressions of gravity and wisdom. Mrs. and her 

two daughters were employed about thedomestic affairs, 
and, while the clergyman entertained me with remarks 
on religious sects, polemic divinity, American writers 
of sermons, and other professional topics, the cloth was 
laid, at one o'clock, and arrangements for dinner were 
evidently in great forwardness. It was in vain that 
1 attempted to take my leave, feeling it not perfectly 



^96 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

proper to extend a morning call so as to include dia* 
ner ; their frankness and hospitality silenced or over- 
came my scruples, and I consented to stay, , In the 
mean time one of the ladies sat down at the piano, and 
entertained us with music, and the father next invited 
me to go with him, and see the parish church and bury- 
ing ground. On our return, |^e parlookof what was, 
in every respect, a Connecticut family dinner. I could 
hardly persuade myself that I was not in my own coun- 
try, and few occurrences since I have been in England, 
have been so interesting to my feelings. I will men- 
tion only one other circumstance, and this you will 
pronounce still more like Connecticut than any thing 
I have mentioned. Because I happened to be dressed 
in black, an impression, it seems, had, from the mo- 
ment of my arrival, prevailed in the family, that I was 
a clergyman. I do not doubt that they would have 
treated me with equal kindness had their impressions 
been otherwise ; but it was unpleasant to roe to disap-> 
point the calculations of aid on the approaching Sab- 
bath, which I found that my worthy host had formed j 
for, after we had returned from our visit to the parish 
church, he very gravely remarked, (seeming to consi- 
der it as a matter of course) that he should expect my 
assistance in the desk, on the next Sunday. The ex- 
planation which necessarily followed, caused much 
mirth in the family, and although some little degree of 
mutual embarrassment was produced by the mistake, 
it ended so pleasantly, that I did not regret the occur- 
rence. 

There has been a thunder storm this evening, with 
torrents of rain, which have disengaged such quantities 
of hepatic gas, from the subterranean receptacles of 
filth, that the air has been, for hours, extremely of- 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 297 

fensive. I am told that sudden and heavy rains usu- 
ally produce this effect in London, and that sometimes 
the gas is so abundant as to blacken the silver utensils 
in the closets. 

August 5.-- — I have had occasion this morning to 
call with a friend on a man not a little known to the 
literary and scientific world, and one to whom I was 
almost a stranger. I had often heard that distinguish- 
ed literary men were prone to be vain, but 1 never 
have seen so striking an example of it combined with 
so much good nature, and amiableness, as in this in- 
stance. After finishing our business, the conversation 
turned on the reviews of London, of which this gentle- 
man complained, on the score of personal injustice 
done to himself. But, to convince us that the world 
was not wholly undiscerning of merit, he brought us a 
number of little articles which he had, at various 
times, received as tokens of esteem from distinguished 
personages, and he came back from his study loaded 
with books turned down in dogs' ears, to passages 
where himself or his works were quoted or praised, and 
with the utmost frankness and composure he bestowed 
on himself and his own productions the same commen- 
dations which, I have no doubt, he would with equal 
readiness have given to another who in his opinion de- 
served them. 

The same companionwent with mc to call on the 
American ministers, to pay our respects to them as the 
representatives of oui country : I allude to our minis- 
ter resident, and to the one who is now accidentally in 
London on his way to Spain. Both gentlemen received 
us with the greatest civility and kindness. A circum- 
stance occurred, while we were inquiring for Mr. Mun^ 



A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

roe's residence, which seems to evince that the dignity 
of an ambassador is not duly appreciated by every body 
in London, We went first to Dover-street, rapped at 
a house where we were told that the American ambas- 
sador lived : a woman came to the door, of whom we 
inquired whether his excellency, the American minis- 
ter was at home; she replied that no such person lived 
there, but that she believed we should find something 
ef the kind^t the next house. 

After tea, as it was a fine serene evening, I walked 
with an acquaintance out to Hampstead, a delightful 
village, situated four miles north of London, on a high 
hill, which overlooks the metiopoUs and the country 
around for. many miles. Very near Hampstead, on 
the same range of hills, stands Highgate, another plea- 
sant village. Thomson in the prospect from Rich- 
mond-Hill has alluded to these two eminences under 
the name of " the sister-hills." Our walk was prin- 
cipally through green fields, among herds of very fine 
eows, which are fed here to supply London with milk. 
We saw a corps of volunteer riflemen firing at a mark, 
to acquire that skill for which there is still some rea- 
son to believe they may yet find occasion. We retarn" 
ed to town in a beautiful moon light evening, and arriv- 
ed somewhat fatigued, after a ramble of eight or ten 
miles, but, sitting to write the occurrences of the day, 
has rested me again, and fitted me for quiet repose. 

August 6. — I have been with an English companion 
to see the manufactory of carpets at Saffron-^hill in 
London. There I had the pleasure of witnessing, on 
a large scale, the execution of most of the processes, 
by which those beautiful stuffs are produced, which 
adorn the floors of our halls and parlours. The weav« 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 299 

ing is extremely ingenious, but eludes my powers of 
description. 

On our return, we went into Gray's Inn Gardens, 
to look at a tree under which the great Lord Bacon 
used to sit while writing and reading. He was a stu- 
dent at Gray's Inn, and this his favourite tree is pre- 
served with great veneration. 

We went next to Hatton Garden, where is a princi- 
pal seat of inquiry into ofi'ences against the peace. This 
inquiry is held before a single magistrate, who pro- 
ceeds in a very summary way, binding over, or dis- 
missing the party, as bethinks proper. We went into 
the court, and heard an examination and decision ia 
the course of five minutes. 

The police of London must be very good, or the peo- 
ple uncommonly well disposed, for the place is almost 
as free from turmoil as a village. 



No. XXXVL— LONDON. 

Excursion by water to Richmoncl... Objects on the river's banks 
....Rural dinner in the fields. ..Uichmond-hill... .Thomson's 
description of the scenery around it.. ..Celibacy common in 
England. ...Dine with a bachelor.... An awkward New-Eng- 
land custom, unknown in England. 

EXCURSION TO RICHMOND. 

August S. — I was invited yesterday to join a small 
party in an excursion by water to Richmond. The 
party consisted of three ladies, and five gentlemen, and 
we were indebted for the excursion to Mr. 



SOO A JOURNAL, OF TRAVEts IN ■ 

owner of the barge, and of all the refreshments^ and 
conveniences with which it was freighted. This gen- 
tleman is an English bachelor, and being fond of water 
parties, has built a very elegant barge, with an awning, 
stuffed seats, carpet, curtains and gilded railing, and 
furnished with complete equipage to spread an elegant 
table, independently of any other aid ; the very table 
itself, the seats and the tent ^re a part of the equip- 
ment of the boat. In such a vehicle, on as fine a day 
as I have ever seen in England, we proceeded up the 
Thames. Its banks are flatter and lower than is per- 
fectly consistent with great variety of scenery f still 
they are very beautiful, being every where verdant, and 
bordered with frequent villages, groves, seats, and 
lodges. The river, in its course from Richmond, winds 
very muchj so that our passage was not less than 18 
miles, when l5y land, the distance is not more than 8 
or 10. On that side of the Thames where London 
stands, we passed the villages of Chelsea, Fulham^ 
Hammersmith, Chiswick, Brentford, Strand on the 
Green, and Islevvorth, and on the opposite side, Lam- 
beth, Battersea, Wandsworth, Putney, Barnes, Mort- 
lake, andj^^ew. In and about these villages we saw 
elegant locoes and villas, belonging to the nobility and 
others. The most remarkable buildings were Chelsea 
Hospital, the seat of the Margrave of Anspach, Sion 
House the seat of the Duke of Northumberland, the 
new palace of George III. at Kew, and the seat of the 
Diike of ^ueensbury. 

There are a number of interesting objects in this 
tour, which I shall not notice now, because I hope to 
make an excursion this way by land. To-day I was 
obliged to be regulated by the convenience of the 
party. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 301 

After leaving Westminster-bridge, there are four 
others over the Thames before you pass Richmond. 
At the latter place and at Kew are elegant structures 
of stone, but at Putney and Battersea they are of wood. 
Above London, the Thames becomes a very beautiful 
river, growing sensibly narrower as we proceed up the 
stream. 

We arrived opposite to Richmond auout two o'clock 
P. M and landed on a delightful lawn, where, in a few 
minutes, as if from the effects of magic, a large tent, 
and a table covered with good things, appeared on tl>e 
green bank. We dined sumptuously upon food which 
had been brought ready prepared from London in our 
barge, and we had the fruits of the season for a des- 
sert. As we sat in our tent, " the silver Thames," 
the bridge, the numerous seats on the opposite bank, 
and the beautiful hill of Richmond, were in full view 
before us. After dinner we walked over the bridge, 
and ascended Richmond-Hill, so long a favourite sub- 
ject of poetical eulogium. 

I had no time to examine into the antiquities of this 
celebrated place, and I shall be much disappointed if I 
do not visit Richmond again, when 1 shall not fail at 
least to find out Thomson's grave. I had his Seasons 
in my pocket, and took the volume out, and read on 
the spot his description of the view from Richmond- 
hill : — his lines do so much better justice to this truly 
beautiful prospect, than my hurried prose, that I shall 
make use of them on this occasion : 



-or ascend 



While radiant Summer opens all his pride, 
Thy hill, delightful Shene I* Here let us sweep 

* Sficne, the Saxon name of tbis place. 

VOL. I. 26 



3Q% A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

The boundlesKS landscape : now the raptur'd eye. 

Exulting swift, to luig-e Augusta* send, 

Now to the sister-hilisf that skirt her plain, 

To lofty Harrow now, and now to where 

Majr:stic Windsor lifts her princely brow. 

In lovely contrast to this glorious view. 

Calmly magnificent, then will we turn 

To where the silver Thames first rural gTows. 

There let the feasted eye unwearied stray ; 

Luxurious, there, rove through the pendent woods 

That nodding hang o'er Harrington's retreat ; 

And stooping thence to Ham's embow'ring walks. 

Beneath whose shades, in spotless peace retir'd 

Wiili her, the pleasing partner of his heart, 

Ihe worthy Queensb'ry yet laments his Gay, 

And polish'd Cornbury woos the willing muse. 

Slow let us trace the matchless Vale of Thames, 

Fair-winding up to where the muses haunt 

In Twit'nam's bow'rs, and for their Pope implore 

The healing God ;| to royal Hampton's pile, 

To Clermont's terrass'd hqight, and Esher's groves. 

Where in the sweetest solitude, embrac'd 

By the soft windings of the silent Mole 

From courts and senates Pelliam finds repose. 

Enchanting vale ! beyond whate'er the muse 

Has of Achaia or Hesperia sung ! 

O vale of bliss ! O lofty swelling hills ! 

On which the power of cultivation lies. 

And joys to see the labours of his toil. 

Heav'ns ! what a goodly prospect spreads around. 
Of hiUs, and dales, and woods, and lawns, and spires, 
And glitt'rin.g towns, and gilded streams, till all 
The stretching landscape into smoke decays ! 

To this description, almost all the objects of which 
may be at this moment distinguished from Richmond 

* Lert^on. f tJampstcad and Highgate* 

i In his last s?ckness. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 303 

Hill, as well as they could in Thomson's time, I have 
nothing to add, except the assurance, whose truth you 
will not doubt, that it gave me great pleasure to view, 
what I had long admired in imagination only. 

Our return to London presented nothing particular- 
ly interesting, and we arrived at Westminster-bridge 
at half past eight o'clock in the evening, in a shower 
of rain. 

August 9. — Celibacy is very common in England 
among men in easy circumstances, till a period of life 
when, from various reasons, they find it difficult to 
change their situations. I have known a considerable 
number of instances where gentlemen of polished man- 
ners and cultivated minds, live as bachelors, in a style 
of elegance and independence, often preferred in Eng- 
land to that state, which, as Johnson says, has miiuij 
pains, although they do not appear to believe the other 
part of the adage, that celibacy has no pleasures. 

I have dined to-day a few miles from London with a 
a gentleman oftlns description. He has a chnrmijior 
rural situation, just on the declivity of a hill, whicli 
commands an extensive view of a wide and beautiful 
vale, intersected by a winding river, and bounded by- 
verdant hills. This is only one instance out of thou- 
sands of that rural beauty with which England abounds* 
There is an unrivalled neatness in the fields and hedges, 
and an intenseness of verdure, which is not seen in 
countries scorched by a fervid summer sun. 

Mr. had spent several years in the United 

States, and is one of the few English travellers in our 
country who do it justice when they return home. He 
speaks of it as it is. He had been much in New-Eng- 
land, and is well acquainted with its manners. As I 
was sitting in a chair, he told me that he should have 



304 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

recognised me as a New-Englander^had he not known 
me. Upon my inquiring for the peculiarity which 
marked my origin, he told me that no one except a 
man educated in New-England, ever leaned back in 
his chair, so as to make it stand upon the two hinder 
feet only. Although I was not in the least aware either 
that this was a custom peculiar to my country, or that 
I was then in so awkward a situation, I found that I 
was so indeed, and while the incident produced some 
mirth, in which I was happy to join, I am sure I shall 
never forget again that a chair ought to stand on four 
legs instead ot two. 

Our party, which was small and social, consisted 
entirely of Americans, and of Englishmen who had tra- 
Telied in America, and of coursa there was much dis- 
cussion concerning the merits of the two countries ; 
and, out of compliment to the Americans present, even 
the peculiarities in the arrangements of the table in 
which there is any difference between England and us, 
were, in tills instance, all In the American style. 

After dinner we walked in the gardens till evening-^ 
when a bright and full moon made our return to Lon- 
don exceedingly pleasant. I was with two Ameri- 
cans in a post chaise, and reached home about nine 
o'clock. 



1 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 305 



No. XXXVII— LONDON. 

Sunday, how considered by many in London,.,.Tiie Cockneys 
....Who they are... Found among all ranks and iii all cities.... 
Sunday walks in Kensington Gardens....The rabble.. .Athletic 
sports.. Calls and visits. ..Magdalen A.syUim... Excellent ob- 
ject of the institution... .The Magdalens.... Surry Chapel... An 
intelligible hint. 

SUNDAY. 

August 11. — I attended public worship to-day in a 
great church where there were only a few people. 
This 1 have very often seen before in London. Lideed 
a very great proportion of the people consider the Sab- 
bath as a day of mere rest, of relaxation, of amuse, 
ment, or of dissipation, according to their employ- 
ments, and rank in society. A person, while walking 
the streets on the Sabbath, will meet numbers of the 
gentry with their splendid equipages, going out into 
the country for an airing, or perhaps to join a party at 
some village in the vicinity. It is also a favourite day 
with them to begin a journey, as it is every wherewith, 
sailors to begin a voyage. 

The cockneys also emulate their superiors in this 
way, and although they cannot afford to keep coaches, 
you will see them ''close pack'd in chaise and one," 
or on horseback, riding furiously into the country. I 
suppose the word cockney and the idea attached to it 
are familiar toi/ou, although they may not be to all my 
friends. It means " a citizen of famous London town," 
who has money enough to make a little show on the 
Sabbath, and certain other public days, but who U 
commonly employed in close attention to trade, or 
26* 



306 A JOURNAL 03 TRAVELS IN 

manual industry. He would deserve respect, (as so- 
ber modest industry ever does) if he were not smitten 
with a desire to emulate the fashionable world, who 
only look down upon him with the more contempt, as 
he exerts himself the more to be like them. He is a 
kir>fl of hybridous animal, half way between real gen- 
tilif V, aiul plain unassuming industry, and equally des- 
tiinf^' of the good qualities of both. He talks much of 
Vanvhall, Drury-lane theatre, the Opera, Hyde Park, 
and K^'usington gardens ; is full of anecdotes of Mr. 
Pitt and the Prince of Wales, and even hints at his 
persoiial knowledge of the great. He is ignorant with- 
out modesty, profuse without liberality, gaudy without 
taste, and voluptuous without refinement. 

There is a church iri Cheapside, called Bow Church, 
and it is a common remark in London, that all born 
within the sound of its bell are cockneys. This kind 
of character is not however confined to such narrow 
limits ; it is found occasionally in genteel life, and 
extends to other countries besides England. It exists 
in every great city, and on a smaller scale, although, 
not with pretensions less ridiculous, it may be disco- 
vered in Philadelphia, New-York, and Boston, and 
even in smaller towns. But, in London it is found in 
full perfection. Some weeks ago, [ was breakfasting 
at a house, not zsiihin the sound of Bow Church bell^ 
but in Westminster, when the lady of the house, a wo- 
man who really rode in her coach, and had servants in 
livery to attend her, was descanting on the sufferings 
and privations which she had endured on a journey to 
Manchester, and concluded a pathetic narration, by 
remark it)g, that she thought it (juiie impossible to live 
comfortably out of London. It was somewhat diffi. 
cult to preserve a proper decorum of manners, under 



ENGLAND) HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 307 

the expression of these sentiments, and to suppress the 
mirth and contempt naturally excited by such profound 
ignorance, prejudice, and city conceit. There is pro- 
bably much of this kind of character, among people in 
high life, as well as among the cockneys. London — 
London is every thing ; — the rest of England is hardly 
tolerable. Scotland is fit only for Scotchmen, who can 
live on oat-meal and water; and America is merely a 
place of exile, from all that is refined, elegant, or com- 
fortable. When I first came to England, such things 
made me angry, but I have novr learned to disregard 
them. 

But, to return from the cockneys to our subject ; 
during a pleasant Sunday, the environs of London 
swarm with emigrants from town. Ilyde Park, and 
the vast forests and serpentine walks of Kensington 
gardens are thronged with people of all ranks. — Gen- 
try, cockneys, cits are all disgorged, and thousands 
and tens of thousands are seen going, and returning, in 
two opposite currents ; and such an assemblage of bur- 
ly corpulent people is probably not to be found in the 
world beside. The plethoric citizen and his no less 
plethoric family, come glowing to ITyde Park corner, 
after a walk of two or three miles from the city, and 
then, they labour on several miles farther, through the 
Park and Kensington gardens, and this by way of be- 
ing genteel, and of taking the air. 

Again, in the streets and lounging about the corners, 
vou may see thousands of wretches who are dirty, rag- 
ged, and disgusting to the last degree, and the Sabbath, 
so far from giving cleanliness, comfort, or devotion to 
them, docs not fail to bring a season of sloth, noise, and 
often of drunkenness. This class is the very rabble of 
London, wIjosc condition is as debased as it is forlori). 



308 A JOURNAL OJ TRAVELS IN 

In the streets and in the fields also, sports of various 
kinds may be seen going forward, and athletic exerci- 
ses, such as quoit, ball, &:c. 

The shops are generally shut, but those of the pas* 
try cooks are kept open, and although the markets are 
closed, fruits, walking-sticks, and Sunday newspapers 
are hawkeC about the streets. 

In town it is the favourite day for calls of civility 
and dinners, and the reason assigned is that it is a day 
of leisure. Till lately the nobility had Sunday con- 
certs, but these have been interdicted by the Bishop of 
London. 

There is, however, a class of people here, who ob- 
serve the day as it was intended to be kept, and their 
example, inflexible and undeviating as it is, forms a 
striking contrast to the manners which I have been 
describing, 

MAGDALEN ASYLUM. 

In the evening I went with Mr. D to the 

chapel of the Magdalen Asylum, in St. George's fields, 
on the Surry side of the river. This institution does 
honour to human tiature, as having been set on foot for 
the reformation of those miserable deluded outcasts, 
whose cases more frequently excite disgust than pity, 
and rarely obtain redemption or relief. 

It is a fact which ought to give encouragement to 
the patrons of such institutions, that out of 3370 who 
have been discharged from this hospital, since its first 
foundation in 1758, 2'230 have been either restored to 
their friends, or placed in service, while only 476 have 
been discharged for improper behaviour. Out of all 
those discharged, by far the greater number a7^e under 
twenty years of age. It appears from the records of 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 309 

the institution, that a very great part of its subjects 
belongs to that class, whom credulity and afiection, un- 
der the sacred' promise of marriage, have exposed to 
the basest of all treacheries. Very many of those 
whom this institution has snatched from perdition, 
have been since placed in regular employments, and, in 
numerous instances, respectably married, and now 
form virtuous and useful members of society. 

The chapel is a handsome octagon, and, this evening, 
was crowded with people. I do not know the name 
of the preacher. I should be happy to record it if I 
did, for his discourse evinced talents and piety. It 
was a chaste, correct, and manly performance. The 
eye was not compelled to strain at faint undefined ima- 
ges seen through a glimmering moonshine ; for he 
placed his objects in the full illumination of the sua 
of truth and righteousness. 

Some parts of the church service are adapted to the 
particular case of the subjects of the charity. On the 
wall is inscribed in large letters of gold ; '' There 
is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one 
sinner that repenteth." 

With a very commendable delicacy, the place where 
the Magdalens sit, is veiled from the view of the audi- 
ence. Their persons can be indistinctly seen, but not 
their features. On every account this is proper, but 
especially so, as a very great proportion of them '' have 
been seduced from their friends, under promise of mar- 
riage, and have been deserted by their seducers." 

Rejected by their friends, spurned by society, with- 
out money, and without resources, they fly to this asy- 
lum to avoid that alternative which would otherwise 
be their only refuge from starving or suicide. Who 
can be more proper subjects of pity, of relief, of pro. 
lection and pardon ! 



310 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

The singing was accompanied by the organ ; it came 
from behind the veil, and was truly admirable. There 
■was nothing theatrical, all was simple, natural and 
seemingly devotional. There was a particular fe- 
male voice which was exceedingly melodious ; it 
had a mellifluous softness which produced a great 
effect. Judging from the indistinct view which I 
had through the veil, I should suppose there were 
about fifty of the Magdalens. Alas 1 you may meet 
more than this number in walking fifty rods by night 
in any great street of London, and even before the 
door of the Magdalen itself ! I find so many good 
people in this country, and so many institutions for 
purposes of humanity, that I cannot but say with their 
own favourite poet Cowper ; — 

** England, with all thy faults, I love thee still," 

Returning, we were attracted to Surry chapel by 
a full choir of vocies, singing sacred music in concert 
■with the organ ; we stopped a few minutes to hear it. 
The chapel was very much crowded, and a full burst 
of harmony from some hundreds of singers, produced 
an effect, at once powerful and solemn, and beyond what 
instruments alone can do. This is the chapel where 
the celebrated Rowland Hill preaches, but I was not 
so fortunate as to hear him either at this time, or in a 
former instance when I was here. There was a con- 
tribution after the service was through, and, the 
preacher, that he might remove all impediments to the 
exercise of a benevolent disposition, requested those 
who had not money in their pockets, to step into the 
passageway, where they would find pen, ink and paper, 
to enable them to draw upon their hankers ; I did not 
however observe that any body took advantage of this 
gentle hint. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 311 



No. XXXVIII— LONDON. 

Excursion to Wandsworth....Return to Yauxhall Gardens.... A 
morning ride....Beauty of the country.... Alarm of invasion.... 
Haymarket theatre. ...Tale of Inklt- and Yarlco... Its moral 
effect destroyed by theairical representation. ...Tom Thumb 
....A mock tragedy. ...Tommy swyllowed by a cow... .Perfor- 
mers on the London stage. ...The lama. 

AN EXCURSION. 

August 12. — It was four o'clock in the afternoon, 
^vhen 1 stepped into a boat at Westminster-bridge. 
The wind and tide were against us, and the boatmen 
had hard work to make any head-way, so that it was 
half past 5 o'clock when 1 arrived at the hospitable 

mansion of my friends Mr. and Mrs. G , at 

Wandsworth-common. They were already at dinner, 
but the same hospitality and friendly manners which 
have so often made me happy in this interesting family, 
again made me welcome to-day. 

After dinner, it was proposed that we should stop 
at Vauxhall on our return to town, as this is the prin- 
cipal gala night of the whole year, the gardens being 
lighted in a magnificent style, in honour of the birth, 
day of the Prince of Wales. 

Some of the party went by land, and the rest with 
me in the boat ; — we were so fortunate as to meet our 
friends at the door of the gardens, and after being 
pushed and pressed, for a long time, in the crowd, we 
made good our entrance. I shall not repeat what I 
have said already on the subject of these gardens. 



312 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

So great was the crowd to-night that it was almost 
impossible to movo In any direction. We could not 
obtain a box or a seat ; every thing of the kind was 
engaged, and some of them had been so for three weeks. 
The situation was therefore extremely fatiguing, and 
particularly so to the ladies. To give it as much vari- 
ety as possible, we struggled through the crov^das well 
as we could, and visited different parts of the gardens 
till midnight. The entertainments were substantially 
the same as those which I saw here before ; only, the 
scenery at the view of London-bridge, was changed to 
catch the feelings of the moment. There had been, 
for some weeks, a pretty active alarm on the subject 
of the French invasion ; and, to-night, down in the 
dark grove which I mentioned when here before, a dis- 
tant view of the enemy's camp was given, and detach- 
ments of English volunteers were represented as 
marching over London bridge to the attack. There 
was another addition. On the top of the orchestra 
was exhibited a transparency representing the crown 
as suspended by two seraphs over the head of the Prince 
of Wales. The fire-works were very brilliant, and 
amidst this scene of splendour the moon shone out 
from among the broken clouds as if to show how much 
her modest radiance, in its power of giving delight, 
exceeds the most splendid exhibitions of art. Her 
lustre has delighted mankind in every age ; it delights 
them now, and will, till she shall shine no more. But 
Vauxhall is beheld with less pleasure the second time 
than the first, and I can easily conceive that it would 
soon become extremely uninteresting. 

We retired before the ceremonies of the night were 
through ; our companions returned to town, and I 
walked back with Mr. G — — to Wandsworth-com- 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 313 

mon, which wereached at half-past one in the morning. 
Our walk was by moon liglit, throu«;h scenes conside- 
rably solitary, but we met with no adventure uhich 
may serve to give my narration the attractions of ro- 
mance. 

August 1 3. — In the morning we returned to town 
in a gig. We passed through Claphsim, a pleasant vil- 
lage, and over Clapham-common, which is adorned 
with numerous country seats of uncommon beauty. 
The morning was one of the finest that an English sum- 
mer affords. 

The thermometer was at 56** ; a brisk breeze pre- 
vailed from north-wes(, the sky was very clear, and the 
air was charged with the fragrance of fruits and flow- 
ers. As we rode 1 had fresh reason to admire the great 
beauty of the rural scenes of Rngland ; and they aiford 
me uncommon delight, because 1 see them only at in- 
tervals, when I steal away from the noise and smoke 
of London. 

The alarm of invasion is now more active than ever, 
and the government have contributed to it n(>t a little, 
by ordering all officers and soldiers absent from their 
respective corps, and every volunteer to be ready at a 
moment's warning ; should he step out of his owa 
house, he is directed to leave a card specifying where 
he may be found. The regiments of volunteers muster 
every morning, and the whole island is in a state of 
vigilance, activity, and solicitude. The effect has been 
produced, at this time, by the fact that Bonaparte is at 
Boulogne with his vast armies, and with his flotillas in 
a state of unexampled preparation, while most of the 
channel fleet is drawn ojf in pursuit of the combined 
squadrons of France and Spain, atid certain intelli- 
gence has been received in England, of the actual em- 
voL. I. 27 



314 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

barkation of a large array in the ports of HoUandj 
which is destined for the invasion of Britain. 

Whatever tnay be the event, the industry of this 
country is thus diverted from its agriculture and ma-^ 
nufactures, and the purposes of the enemy are in some 
measure answered vt'ithout crossing the channel. 

HAYxMARKfiT THEATRE. 

August 14. — Having been formerly, much interested 
in the popular taste of Inkle and Yarico, I went to 
see it exhibited, to-night, at the little theatre in the 
Haymarket. The representation was amusing, but, the 
sympathy which is so powerfully awakened by the nar- 
ration, for the fate of Yarico, and the indignation 
which is excited against the man vrho suffers the emo- 
tions of gratitude to be overcome by avarice, are in a 
great measure, counteracted, by the dramatic exhibi- 
tion. We can bear to be told, in print, that Mr. Inkle 
has been so grateful and magnanimous as to marry his 
protectress, because she has first saved his life and then 
bestowed her affections upon him, and we silently ad- 
mire and applaud him for it j but, when we come ac- 
tually to see, on the stage, a polished European, among 
his white friends, while he is every where obliged to 
acknowledge this tawny female for his wife, and to 
keep her constantly by his side, we wish that it were, 
some how or other, possible, to extricate him from so 
unpleasant an embarrassment. Thus the mind is im- 
perceptibly prepared to view, with less horror, Mr. 
Inkle's subsequent treachery ; and the moral effect of 
the story is, in a great measure, destroyed. 

The after-piece was Tom Thumb, of giant killing 
memory. The little story which we used to read in 
our three^penny picture books, detailing the adven- 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTJ.AND. 316 

tures of this pigmy hero, is much more interesting than 
the stupid farrago whicli they have wrought into the dra- 
matic form. I will not tire and disgust you by an ac- 
count of the strange crudities, and monstrous doingS- of 
every kind, which followed each otlier, to-night, in ra- 
pid and ominous succession. The catastrophe was cer- 
tainly the most gratifying incident, as it was the last, 
and indeed it had quite as much of nature in it as any 
portion of the performance. 

The doughty hero, Tommy Thumb, a little boy, in 
scarlet, about 40 inches high, after wonderful deeds of 
\alour, in single combat, by which he wins a beautiful 
princess— that is to say, a coarse athletic actress, tall 
enough for a grenadier — is just on the point of making 
her his bride, when, terrible to relate, a great English 
cow, steps from behind the scenes, and, at one mighty 
gulp, swallows Tommy down, sword and all. The 
thing was received with great applause, and indeed al- 
most every thing succeeds when trick'd off with the 
decorations of the stage. 

In all the performances this evening, there was much 
gross indecency of language without any natural con- 
nection with the plot, and thrown in merely to catch 
the populace. It is really farcical to talk of the mo- 
rality of the stage, unless there are theatres differently 
conducted from any tliat I have yet seen either in this 
country or my own. 

As to the talents of the performers on the London 
stage, there are a few who are very great, but the ma- 
jority are below mediocrity, and many contemptible. 

The persons of most of the actresses are very clupi- 
?y ; their figures are bad, their habits robust and cor- 
pulent, and some of them are ugly enough to frighten 



316 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

the ghost of Hamlet. I cannot conceive why many of 
them should have chosen a profession, for which they 
seem utterly unqualified. There are a few handsome 
women on the stage in London, and I have seen two or 
three who might be called beautiful. The persons of 
the actors are incomparably superior to those of the 
actresses. 

LAMA, &c. 

August 15. — There is a class of men in London who 
are called animal merchants. They keep, both for 
sale and exhibition, collections, more or less extensive, 
of living animals. Pidcock, whose menagerie I have 
already mentioned, is a dealer of this description, and 
this morning I visited another similar collection, 
Brooks', at the corner of Picadilly and the Hay-mar- 
ket. The object which I had particularly in view in 
my visit, was to see the South American kma, an ani- 
mal which has been recently (for the first time as it is 
said) brought into this country. 

It is used, in South America, for the same services 
which the Arabians impose on the camel, and is classed 
by naturalists with that animal. But, compared with 
most of the camel family, the laoia is small, although 
very active; he is also destitute of the dorsal bunch, 
and is covered with hair as fine as the softest silk. He 
has one singular faculty, which, although a defensive 
one, is more ludicrous than formidable. 

When I entered the apartment, the lama was stand- 
ing with his head from me, and wishing to have a bet- 
ter view, I tapped him with my cane, when he flew into, 
a violent rage, whirled instantly around, and with great 
force ejected from his nose a greenish fluid into my 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 317 

face. I was glad to retreat a little, and every subse- 
quent attempt to conciliate the animal's favour, only 
produced a fresh shovv'er. This liquor, which appears 
Dot to be mucus, but a peculiar fluid, probably secret- 
ed on purpose for the defence of the animal, which 
is perhaps in this way enabled to blind its assailants, 
seems to be discharged with such surprising force by a 
strong movement of the nose'. The fluid is thrown 
occasionally five or six feet, and, it is said, that when 
the lama is eating beans, he will, if disturbed, project 
them in the same manner. 

In Brooks' collection, I saw also the jerboa, a spe- 
cies of rat, very much resembling the kangaroo, and 
the golden and silver pheasant of China, birds of sin- 
gular beauty. 



No. XXXIX.— LONDON. 



Foundling Hospital. ...Mr. HewIet....Mr. More. ...English pr^j^. 
chers. ..A sermon of twelve minule.s.. .Singing attfie Found- 
ling.. ..Two blind singers. ...The Foundlings. .. .Hogarth....Cap. 
tain Coram. ...St. Stephen's. 

FOUNDLING HOSPITAL. 

August 18 I have frequently attended divine ser- 
vice at the chapel of the Foundling Hospital. 1 was 
there again this morning, and heard an excellent sermon 
from Mr. Hewlet. It was levelled against some fash- 
ionable irregularities, particularly the breach of the 
.Sabbath, for purposes of recreation, 
27* 



318 A JOURNAL OF TRATELS IN 

There is another gentleman whom I have repeatedly 
heard in this chapel, with great pleasure ; I allude to 
Mr. More. His discourses are finished compositions, 
nervous, glowing, and impressive, while they are chaste, 
and free from verbosity and false ornament. He has, 
in his manner of speaking, many of the graces of an 
orator, and his performances are always interesting, 
because he seems really'in earnest^ and deeply impres- 
sed himself with those truths which he is endeavouring 
to enforce on others. In the indiscriminate way in 
which I have attended the churches of this country, 
usually without any previous knowledge either of the 
place or preacher, I have too often been unfortunate in 
not finding decisive indications either of great talents, 
learning, or piety, and I have no doubt that, in a ma- 
jority of instances, I have fallen upon preachers who 
were far below the general standard of the country. I 
make no general deductions unfavourable to England, 
while I merely state these facts. I was, a few Sabbaths 
since, in a church, in which, from its being very near 
my residence, I have attended more than once, where a 
young man concluded a very loose declamation, in the 
form of a sermon, in precisely twelve minutes. He 
seemed to be one of those 

" ■ ■ ■■ ■ things that mount the rostrum with a skip. 



And then skip down again. Pronounce a text; 
Cry — hem ; and reading what they never wrote, 
Just fifteen minutes, huddle up their work, 
And with a well-bred whisper close the scene !" 

This gentleman, however, had the advantage of Cow. 
per's divine, by just three minutes of time, and, I pre. 
sume, from his countenance, that he was really the au. 
thor of the composition which he read. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 319 

The singing at the chapel of the Foundling Hospital 
is very fine, and forms one of those attractions, which, 
coinciding with the interesting nature of the institu- 
tion, produce a great resort of genteel people to this 
place. I allude particularly to the singing of the 
Foundlings themselves, which is soft, melodious, and 
natural; but there is a couple of blind leaders, who, 
from its being their profession to sing, and because 
they obtain their bread by it, must needs introduce so 
many trills, shakes, and guttural echoes, that they 
turn sacred music into a theatrical exhibition, and lead 
one almost to wish that, if it were proper to make an 
election among the judgments of heayen, that theirs had 
been to be dumb instead of blind. 

I was in company to-day with a gentleman, who, af- 
ter morning service, took me into the dining-hall of 
the female foundlings, where we saw a very interesting 
spectacle. Nearly two hundred of these liftle beings, 
apparently very healthy and cheerful, and neatly dres- 
sed, were partaking of a wholesome and abundant din- 
ner. Before they began, at a signal given, they all 
stood in an attitude of reverence, while one of their 
number, a little thing of six years of age, with her 
hands clasped, asked a blessing in a perfectly proper 
manner, while the whole number, with one voice, pro- 
nounced — Amen. 

The dining hall is adorned with the portraits of the 
benefactors of the institution, and among these, that of 
Cajitain Coram, who spent seventeen years of his life 
in assiduous exertions to found this charity, occupies, 
as it certainly ought to do, the most distinguished 
place. 

Coram was a private and obscure individual, a cap- 
tain in the American trade, and his history w ill long 



52G A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

be remembered, as atfording a striking illustration of 
the force of benevolent affections and the success of be- 
nevolent exertiions. The precise object of this insti- 
tution is expressed in the following words ; " For pre- 
venting the frequent murders of poor miserable infants 
at their birth, and for suppressing the inhuman cus- 
tom of exposing new-born infants to perish in the 
streets." 

The admission of foundlings is not however indis- 
criminate ; it proceeds upon a principle of selection ; 
those objects are preferred which have the strongest 
claims. It is needless to say that such an institution^ 
in such a place as London, is always full ; at present 
there are more than five hundred foundlings of both 
sexes, and it is impossible to look at these little friend- 
less unacknowledged beings, who are ignorant of their 
natural protectors, and of the ties which connect them 
to the rest of the species, without strong emotions of 
pity. 

We went next into the dining-room of the boys, who 
are equally numerous as the girls ; the same decorum 
prevailed there, and one of them asked a blessing in 
the same manner. 

Hogarth was a benefactor of the Foundling Hospi- 
tal, and some of his best pictures are suspended here, 
particularly bis master-piece, The march to Finchlei/ ; 
this, on account of some rather too faithful copies 
■which it contains of traits of real life, will form a more 
proper topic of oral than of written description. Se- 
veral other pieces, some of them by great masters, and 
relating principally toticripture history, are to be seen 
in the committee-room. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 321 

In the afternoon, I attended at St. Stephen's, Wal- 
brook. After St. Paul's, this church is the most mag- 
iiificent in London, and is reckoned one of Sir Christo- 
pher Wren's master pieces. It is indeed a grand and 
beautiful structure. The preacher gave us a very good 
discourse, but, his task is a very discouraging one, for, 
in this magnificent church, the whole audience, includ- 
ing the clerk, the organist, and twenty charity chil- 
dren, who are obliged to attend, did not amount to 
fifty persons. 



No. XL—LONDON. 

St. Luke's Hospital. ...An Asylum for lunatics. ..A distressing 
sig-ht—DiHerent forms and varieties of madness.... Particular 
individuals. 

ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL. 

August 23. — This morning, in consequence of an 
arrangement which Mr. Ogilvy, an English friend of 
mine, was so good as to make for me, 1 went with one 
of the managers of St. I..uke's Hospital, to visit that 
institution. It is situated in Old-street, near Finsbu- 
ry-square. The structure is extensive, being between 
four and five hundred feet long, and, although it is 
plain in its appearance, it is by no means destitute of 
elegance. 

This is a charitable institution, for the reception, 
and, as far as possible, for the cure of those unfortu- 
nate beings, who are visited with the most dreadful of 
all the judgments of heaven, madness. My conduc- 
tor, who, as a manager of the hospital, was now on 



322 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

a tour of duty, to inspect every part of it, took me 
with him and obligingly explained the whole system. 
The building is wonderfully neat, clean, airy and con- 
venient. Here, it was my fortune to see, nearly three 
hundred of my fellow creatures, deprived of the due 
exercise of their understandings, and blotted out from 
the intellectual creation. 

We first visited the women, whose apartments are, 
of course, by themselves. Their cells are arranged, on 
both sides of several long galleries or halls, with their 
doors opening into this common passage. There are 
also wings to the building which contain cells arrang- 
ed in a similar manner. At night each patient is shut 
up in a solitary cell, but, in the day, they are suffered 
to walk at large, through the halls, which are spacious 
and airy. From this indulgence, those lunatics who 
are dangerous are exempted ; they are confined with 
more or less rigor, as the case may require. 

We walked around among the maniacs, and my con- 
ductor, who was a respectable Jew, and possessed of 
much mildness and humanity, was immediately recog- 
nised by most of those we met, who seemed to welcome 
him as a friend and protector, and the good man had 
something kind and parental to say to Ihem all. Most. 
of them behaved with great decorum, and some con- 
versed so correctly that one would not have suspected 
them of lunacy. But, it was one of the most pitiable 
and affecting sights that I have ever beheld. 

Some were merry and full of glee, and declared 
that they were perfectly well and very happy ; some 
were fixed in sullen death-like melancholy, sitting in 
corners or standing with their eyes fixed on the floor ; 
some \vere restless, walking from place to place, and 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 323 

apparently in deep thought ; others wept bitterly, 
wringing their hands, begging to be released, and com- 
plaining of their friends for deserting them in their dis- 
tresses ; others were actuated by furious madness, 
clanging their chains, gnashing their teefh, and scream- 
ing piteously, while their eyes rolled with all the wild, 
ness of frenzy. 

There is a yard, immediately back of the hospital, 
where, in fine weather, the* patients are allowed to go 
for fresh air. Among those who were there, was a 
woman in a straight jacket. Her features were fixed ; 
she stood immoveable as a marble statue, gazing with 
a wild frantic stare, but without any certain direction, 
and, at short intervals, she uttered the most lamentable 
piercing shrieks that I ever heard. 

But, there were others, whose deportment was soft, 
mild, and perfectly correct. This was particularly 
the case with two very young women, who from their 
youth, beauty, and interesting manners, naturally ex- 
cited particular sympathy. When we entered their 
apartments, they rose respectfully, conversed intelli- 
gently, and seemed more fitted to adorn a polished so- 
ciety than to be inmates of Bedlam. Although, from 
their being in that place, I could not doubt the fact of 
their mental derangement, I asked my guide whether 
those young women were really lunatic. He assured 
me that they were, and that it was not uncommon for 
lunatic patients to appear rational for srveral duys to- 
gether. My conductor seemed perfectly to understand 
the humours of the patients. We entered one room 
where a woman was busying herself with a few plants 
and (lowers, which she was rearing in the window ; to 
her he apologized in very polite language, for coming, 



324 A JOURlvTAL OF TRAVELS IN 

unasked^ into a lady's apartment. She seemed flatter- 
ed vvith Ihis attention io her feelings, and showed us 
her patch-work and her little garden, adding, that au- 
tumn was coming fast upon us, and that her leaves be- 
gan to fade. 

In another apartment was a young French woman. 
She had a little mortar, and was grinding colours 
which she used in painting. Around the room were 
hung the productions of her pencil, which were very 
ingenious considering that she had no colours, except 
such as she made from the sweepings of the house. 

We next went into the apartments of the men, and 
walked freely among them ; they exhibited much the 
same varieties of madness as the women, but more of 
them appeared to be sullen and melancholy, and I did 
not observe any who were gay. 

St. Luke's Hospital was erected by private exertions, 
and the present building, it is said, cost 40,000/. It 
is asserted that there is no establishment of the kind in 
Europe which, for the extent of the plan, is more com- 
plete, whether we regard the convenience of the build- 
ing or the excellence of the management. 

The Bethlera Hospital, which is the one common- 
ly known by the name of Bedlam, is at present un- 
dergoing a thorough repair, and the patients are re- 
moved. 

From this distressing scene, I returned home, thank- 
ful to heaven^ that neither moping melancholy nor 
moon-struck madness had fallen to my lot. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 325 



No. X LI— LONDON. 

Excursion to Hampton Court... .Pope's residence. ...Strawberry- 
hill... .Park of Hampton Court... .The palace.,..Parlicular ob- 
jects in it... .Impressions excited ...Star and Garter Tavern on 
Richmond-hill.... Origin of a popular song-.... Thomson's g-rave 
.. .EarJ of Buchan's inscription. ...Rossdale House, Thomson's 
former residence. ...Relics of him....Hisseat in the garden. 

EXCURSION TO HAMPTON COURT. 

At 9 o'clock, Mr. D- and myself took scats 

for Twickenham, by the way of Hammersmiih and 
Brentford. Twickenham is 10 or 11 miles from Lon- 
don, on the Thames, opposite to Richmond. It is a 
pleasant village, but, the circumstance which chiefly 
renders it interesting is, that it was once the residence 
of Pope. 

Till lately, his villa, with his favourite grotto, and 
the willow tree which he planted, were shown to stran- 
gers. But, the place has now fallen into the hands of 
a baronet, who has given his porter positive orders to 
admit no one who, from curiosity, comes to see this 
celebrated house. An American acquaintance of ours 
had, a few days before, met with this refusal in terms 
so positive, that we thought it useless to make the 
attempt, and were obliged to content ourselves with 
merely an external view of a building which was once 
honoured by the presence of the illustrious bard. The 
house is of brick, perfectly plain, and three stories 
high. I make no reflections on Sir John Briscoe, the 
vol. I. 28 



326 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN ^ 

present possessor ; he may have the best reasons for 
this seemingly illiberal condact. 

From Twickenham we went on foot to Hampton 
Court. On our way we passed Strawberry.hill, the 
celebrated seat of the late Lord Oxford, and now of 
Mrs. Darner. 1 had, a few days before, applied in the 
usual form for a ticket of admission, but not having 
obtained it, we could view only the outside of this fine 
villa ; it is built in the Gothic style, although it is lit- 
tle more than half a century old, and is beautifully 
situated not far from the Thames. 

Leaving Strawberry-hill, we passed on, along the 
river to Hampton Court. It is the season of harvest ; 
the reapers are cutting down the wheat, or as it is here 
called, the corn^ We were refreshed with a view of 
every rural beauty which the full maturity of summer 
can afford ; the hedge rows were covered with flowers ; 
the meadows of the Thames were clothed in their deep- 
est green, and a meridian sun and cloudless sky added 
splendour to beauty. 

On entering the Park at Hampton Court, we found 
ourselves in an extensive forest of ancient and majestic 
trees, disposed in regular rows, and affording a re- 
freshing retreat from the heat of the day. Along these 
avenues, where we could perceive the deer in herds 
gliding through the openings, we walked a full mile to 
the venerable palace of Hampton Court. It is con- 
structed of brick, in the ancient style; the form is 
quadrangular, witli an interior court. It was first 
erected by Cardinal Wolsey, and the tapestry with 
which he adorned its walls, although faded, still re- 
mains untoni. 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 327 

Charles I. was a state prisoner here ; he lived -with 
seeming freedom, and with somewhat of the dignity of 
a king, but he still thought fit to make his escape to 
the Isle of Wight. 

Hampton Court was the favourite residence of Queea 
Ann ; George I. and George II. often lived here ; and 
William III. was particularly partial to it. He re. 
built a great part of the palace, and it remains substan- 
tially as it was in his time. 

The Prince of Orange, on his expulsion from Hol- 
land, had this palace assigned to him for his residence, 
and here, I am Informed, he still resides. 

A corps of horse have their barracks in the outer 
buildings, whether as a guard of honour to the 
Prince, or as an appendage of the palace, I do not 
know. 

Although we were conducted tiirough the difi^rent 
apartments, in a manner much' too rapid, entirely to 
satisfy my curiosity, I was still much gratified, for I 
had never seen the inside of a palace before. As I 
cannot describe all the interesting objects, I will men- 
tion merely a few of the most remarkable. 

The stair case is magnificent ; the walls and ceiling 
are decorated with superb paintings, representing hea- 
then deities, and fabulous and real scenes of antiquity. 
The colours are not laid upon canvass, but upon the 
walls themselves. 

The guard-room, which we entered first, contains 
arms for one thousand men, and portraits of many dis- 
tinguished persons, among which are those of Sir Clou- 
desly Shovel, Sir George Rooke, &c. 

We were then conducted through presence-cham- 
bers, audience-chambers, dressing-chambers, bed-cham- 



328 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

bers, and other royal apartments, all of which were 
adorned with superb pictures and ancient tapestry. 
A picture of William III. on a white horse, by Knel- 
ler, is wonderfully fine. There is a full length por- 
trait of George I. and all the rooms are more or less 
decorated with portraits of kings and queens, and 
their connections, and of the great men of their respec* 
tive courts. 

In one of the apartments are some pieces of the go- 
belin manufacture, representing the battles of Alexan- 
der the Great. 

They showed us also the public dining-room where 
George II. used to give dinners of state. 

The king's bed-chamber and that of the queen are 
superbly painted ; the beds are covered with crimson 
silk velvet, and canopies of the same, embroidered with 
gold, are suspended over them. 

The walls of Queen Mary's bed-chamber are hung 
with tapestry wrought by her own hands, and those of 
the maids of honour ; this industrious and excellent 
woman, the wife of William III. was at once the orna- 
ment of her own sex and of the throne of England. 
The famous cartoons of Raphael are here ; among their 
subjects, which are taken principally from Scripture 
history, are the stories of the death of Ananias and of 
the blindness of Elymas the sorcerer. 

The tables in many of the apartments are of verd. 
antique^ and, generally, the furniture and decorations 
of the various apartments, are in a style of royal mag- 
nificence. To give a tolerably copious description, 
would be to write a volume ; and, although a mere ca- 
talogue of a few cannot be very interesting, I could 



ENGLAND, riOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 329 

not be willing to pass over every thing in entire si- 
lence. 

My principal satisfaction at Hampton Court, arose 
from the consciousness that I was actually in a palace, 
and that kings, queens, and illustrious men, had trod 
the boards that were then beneath my feet. While I 
am thus impressed with these ideas, which partake at 
once of moral grandeur and of grateful melancholy, I 
must not forget the attention which all ages have de- 
manded, and paid, to the claims of female beauty, 
whether dead or living. For, there is one room devot- 
ed to the portraits of the Hampton Court beauties ; I 
believe most of the ladies flourished in King William's 
time. Notwithstanding the stiff drapery of the age, 
several of these belles were richly endowed by nature 
with those external charms, whose empire, if not as en- 
during as that of warlike conquest, is at least more ex- 
tended. But the grave has swallowed them long ago, 
and their beauty now lives only on the canvass. 

Hampton Court is delightfully situated on the 
Thames, fifteen or sixteen miles from London. 

We now returned on foot to Twickenham, and hav- 
ing crossed Richmond-bridge, dined at the Star and 
Garter tavern^ on the very summit of Richmond-hill. 
In this tavern once lived a young woman, in the hum- 
ble station of a waiting-maid, who possessed such un- 
comn*ton attractions, as to inspire a young man of the 
first rank in the kingdom with such a partiality for 
her, that he gave utterance to his passion in the popu- 
lar song of, 

" On Richmond-hill there liv'd a lass,*' 8ic. 

^8* 



330 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

WherQ this comely lass is now, I know not, nor does 
she seem to have left in the house any representative of 
her beauty, for, we saw nobody there, who, had we 
been poets, would have excited us to emulate the song 
of the royal inamorato. 

After dinner, we ascended to the roof of the house, 
and took a view at leisure of this vast and delightful 
prospect. We saw London very distinctly, 

Richmond-hill deserves all that has been said in its 
praise, nor has Thomson acted the poet more than the 
geographer, in the description which I quoted a few 
days ago. The trees are so numerous in the vale as to 
have the appearance of an extensive forest with fre- 
quent openings, and the Thames, as it winds along its 
Gircuitous course, looks like a silver stream. The 
view from this hill is, I presume, one of the finest in 
the world ; the interesting objects are numerous, vari- 
ous, distinct, and beautiful, so as well to entitle Rich- 
mond to its Saxon name of Skene ^ or Resplendent. 

Leaving Richmond-hill, we descended into the vil- 
lage, and vrhile my companion waited at the door of 
the church, I went to find out the person whose office 
it was to show it to us ; our object was to visit Thom- 
son's grave. After some inquiry, I found an old wo- 
man, who undertook to conduct us. As we walked to 
the church, she told me that her husband knew Thom- 
son, and assisted at his funeral, the expenses of which, 
said she, were paid by a gentleman of Richmond, 
" for Thomson, sir, was very poor, as all poets are." 
We had now arrived at the door of the church, which 
she unlocked, and I hastened to the spot, and spent a 
few minutes in pensive but pleasing contemplations 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 331 

over the grave of this delightful poet and lamented 
man. 

He lies under the pavement, in the north-west cor- 
ner of the church, and for many years there was not 
even an inscription to mark where he lay. But, the 
Earl of Buchan, in the year 1792, placed on the ad- 
joining wall, a brass plate, on which 1 read the follow- 
ing memorial ; 

" In the earth, beneath this tablet, are the remains 
of James Thomson, author of the beautiful poems, en- 
titled the Seasons, the Castle of Indolence, «S:c. — who 
died at Richmond, on the 27th of August, and was 
buried there on the 29th, O. S. 1748." The Earl of 
Buchan, unwilling that so good a man, and sweet a 
poet, should be without a memorial, has denoted the 
place of his interment, for the satisfaction of his admi- 
rers, in the year of our Lord 1792. 

Then follow these lines from his own Winter. 

Fatherof light and life, lliou good supreme ! 
O, teach me what is good ! teach me thyself ! 
Save me from folly, vanity, and vice. 
From ev'ry low pursuit ! and feed my soul 
With knowledge, conscious peace, and virtue pure ; 
Sacred, substantial, never-fading bliss ! 

The old woman informed me that her husband, 
about 12 years ago, dug down to the colTin, and found 
that it was still undecayed, although it had then been 
buried 4.5 years. 

On the opposite side is a monument to the memory 
of the celebrated Gilbert Wakefield, who was buried 
here. After looking at th^ other interesting things in 
this ancient and venerable church, I returned to the 
grave of the sweet bard, and took my last leave of if. 



332 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 

The memory of Thomson having gained complete 
possession of my mind, I was not willing to pass by 
Rossdale House, at the head of Kew Footlane, where 
he used to reside. The house now belongs to Mr. Ash- 
ley of Grosvenor-square, but was possessed, till within 
these few months, by the widow of Admiral Boscawen ; 
she is recently deceased at the age of 90 or more. 

Although we were strangers without any introduc- 
tion, we were receiyed in the most obliging manner, 
and every thing connected with Thomson's memory 
was readily shown. The iSrst article that we saw was 
the table on which he wrote the Seasons. It is small, 
round, and low, but rather elegant in its appearance, 
being of mahogany, and having an inscription in the 
middle. This table is preserved with great care, as are 
also the two brass hooks in the wall on which Thomson 
used to hang his hat and cane. 

They next pointed us to his favourite seat in the gar- 
den. It is a summer-house of plain boards, of a pen- 
tagonal form, enclosed completely on all sides but one, 
and, contiguous to the sides, there is a seat running 
quite around the interior part, except the entrance. It 
is in the midst of a garden of some extent, and is over- 
hung by vines and trees. On the front, immediately 
above the entrance, is this inscription ; Here Thomson 
sung the seasons^ and their change. 

Pardon my weakness, if such it be, in mentioning 
these little circumstances, and still more in experien- 
cing strong emotions of mournful pleasure, while I 
lingered in the lodge which this delightful poet once 
frequented. 

There are several inscriptions on the inside of the 
summer-house, one of which follows : 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 333 

*' Within this pleasing retirement, allured by the 
music of the nightingale, which warbled in soft unison 
to the melody of his soul, in unaffected cheerfulness, 
and genial, though simple elegance, lived James Thom- 
son. Sensibly alive to all the beauties of nature, he 
painted their images, as they rose in review, and pour- 
ed the whole profusion of them into his inimitable 
Seasons. AVarmed with intense devotion to ihe Sove- 
reign of the universe, its flame glowing through all his 
compositions ; animated with unbounded henevolencej 
with the tenderest social sensibility, he never gave one 
moment's pain to any of his fellow creatures, except 
by his death, which happeiied at this place on the 22d 
of August 1748." 

Reluctantly I withdrew from this interesting scene, 
and pursued the foot path, which Thomson always 
tr.H veiled to Kgw. 

We arrived at the Botanical Garden, but, too late 
to be admitted to see it, and, indeed I was not displeas- 
ed at the disappointment, for I did not wisli to turn my 
mind to any other subject, and therefore, stepping into 
a coach, wc returned immediately to Loudon. 



334 A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS IN 



No. XLIL— LONDON. 

Christ's Hospital.... A preacher there.. ..Great number of boys 
educated on charity....Lord Nelson,. ..A crowd always at his 
keels. ...His appearance. 

CHRIST'S HOSPITAL. 

August 25. — -In company with an American I went 
to the church belonging to Christ's Hospital, New- 
gate-street, where we heard a preacher who seemed to 
be a man of warm piety and of respectable talents. The 
final judgment was his theme, and with much earnest- 
ness and feeling, he urged the importance of realizing 
the truth of the scripture representations on this most 
important subject. 

This church presented a very itrteresting spectacle. 
There were present about six hundred boys, from the 
age of 6 to that of 16, who are educated on the foun- 
dation of this charitable institution. Besides these, 
there are 3 or 400 more, principally females, who are 
at Hertford at school, so that at least 1000 children 
are dependent upon this charity. The boys whom we 
saw at church were all dressed in that peculiar uniform 
which T mentioned at Manchester, and which appears 
to be common in English charitable institutions of an- 
cient date. It consists of a jacket of coarse blue 
cloth, buttoned close around the neck and body, and 
descending to the feet in a kind of skirt or petticoat, 
which is buckled around the waist with a leather belt. 
These boys formed a very interesting spectacle ; they 
were all provided with service books, and sung to the 
organ, which was a very fine one, loud and deep-toned, 



ENGLAND, HOLLAND, AND SCOTLAND. 335 

and yet soft and clear. After service we walked into 
the buildings where the boys receive their instruction 
and have their accommodations. The buildings are 
Tery ancient and need repair. The dining-hall is ex- 
tensive, and is adorned with two large pictures, one of 
which represents Edward Vf . granting a charter to the 
institution ; the other was so remote that we could not 
distinguish its subject through the iron grating which 
separated us from them. 

LORD NELSON. 

August 26. — As I was standing in a shop in the 
Strand, this morning, I had the satisfaction, which I 
had long wished for, of seeing Lord Nelson, lie was 
walking through the streets, on the opposite side, in 
company with his chaplain, and, as usual, followed by 
a crowd. This is a distinction which great men are 
obliged to share in common with all wonderful exhibi- 
tions ; — a dancing bear would immediately attract a 
throng in the streets of London, and this great admiral 
can do no more in the same circumstances. If it be a 
gratification, while it is new, it must soon become ex- 
tremely troublesome. Lord Nelson cannot appear in 
the streets without immediately collecting a retinue, 
which augments as he proceeds, and when he enters a 
shop, the door is thronged till he comes out, when the 
air rings with huzzas, and the dark cloud of the popu- 
lace again moves on, and hangs upon his skirts. 

He is a great favourite with all descriptions of peo- 
ple ; the nation are wonderfully proud of him, and, al- 
though his la(e unwearied pursuit of the French and 
Spanish squcdrons has proved fruiflcss, the enthusias- 
tic admiration in which he has long been held, does not 
seem to be in the least diminished. 



A JOURNAL OF TRAVELS, ScC. 

My view of him was in profile. His features are 
sharp and his skin is now very much burnt, from his 
having been long at sea ; he has the balancing gait of a 
sailor ; his person is spare and of about the middle 
height, or rather more, and mutilated by the loss of an 
arm and an eye, besides many other injuries of less 
magnitude. 

It was certainly a rational source of satisfaction to 
behold the first naval character of the age, a man whom 
his contemporaries admire and posterity will applaud. 
His very name is at this moment, under providence, a 
palladium to this island, and no hostile fleet can meet 
him without dreading tha event of the interview. 

I^have been for some time, contemplating a tour to 
Bath, Bristol, and the mines of Cornwall, and having 
procured from the alien-office, my permission to travel 
into the interior of the country, I have been busied for 
a few days past, in making every other preparatory ar- 
rangement of my concerns, and to-morrow I intend to 
commerce my journey in company with our country- 
man Mr. T , who goes with me as far as Bristol. 

END OF VOL. I. 



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